:
„
_
THIRTEENTH SABBATH OFFERING OVERFLOW
December 21, 1974—Northern Europe-West Africa Division
In the Northern Europe-West Africa Division there are two senior
colleges: Adventist College of West Africa (better known by the acronym,
ACWA and pronounced Ak-wah) at Ikeja in Western Nigeria, established
in 1959; and Newbold College, Bracknell, in the Royal county of Berk-
shire, England, founded as Stanborough College in Watford, Hertford-
shire, in 1901. The services of the graduates of these two colleges have
blessed many lands. These two institutions will benefit equally from the
offering overflow of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering for the fourth quarter.
For the growth and development of the church in this division we
believe there is no wiser investment than that in Christian education
and Adventist youth.
Is there a continent more eager for education than Africa? Is there
one in greater need of Christian education? Hardly. At ACWA limited
facilities are greatly handicapping the educational program. Among
many urgent needs is the need for a library. Toward this project the
offering overflow on December 21 will make a substantial contribution.
In September, 1972, Newbold College began to offer a fifth year of
ministerial training. In cooperation with Andrews University this addi-
tional year of study leads to the master's degree or, with additional
study at Andrews, to the master of divinity degree. Work in the sophisti-
cated countries of Europe requires well-trained evangelists and minis-
ters. In view of the postgraduate program it was necessary that the
school provide a new library. This was completed early this year, and
we have counted on your generous gifts as a part of the plan to finance
its construction.
We are facing forward and by God's grace and with your help, great
things will be done to prepare youth for their part in the church's
final triumph.
W. Duncan Eva, President
Northern Europe-West Africa Division
A GIFT FROM JESUS
Introduction
Jesus is a giver. His gifts are many; but the lessons for this quarter focus on
one gift from Jesus.
Paul referred (Eph. 4:11) to prophets, along with apostles, evangelists, pastors,
and teachers as gifts bestowed on the church by the ascended Saviour. Paul does
not speak of these gifts abstractly as abilities looking for persons to attach to but
concretely as persons whom the Lord Jesus has blessed with certain abilities and
entrusted with certain responsibilities. His gifts to the church are people able to
serve the church for Jesus.
The gift from Jesus referred to by the title of these lessons is the gift of a
person, Ellen G. White, whom God gave to the remnant church to serve in a
prophetic role.
Through the ages the divine Revealer of truth has employed prophets as His
agency for the communication of essential knowledge to the church and to the
world. A prophet is a spokesman for God sent by God whose messages ring with
truth and authority.
The messages that came to Seventh-day Adventists through the agency of
His messenger, Ellen White, came from the same God who spoke through the
prophets of old. She served the Adventist people in much the same way as
Nathan, Gad, Iddo, and Shemaiah served the people of God in Old Testament
times and as John the Baptist, Agabus, and Silas in New Testament times. See
The Great Controversy,
Introduction, page viii. No writings of these prophets are
included in the Sacred Canon. The messages of Ellen White are not included in
the Bible either. She spoke and wrote to attract the minds of the Lord's people
to the Word. The spirit of prophecy writings are a link that binds Seventh-day
Adventists to the Bible.
The relationship of the writings of Ellen White to the Holy Scriptures will
receive special attention in these Sabbath School lessons. Her work magnifies
Bible teaching and focuses Bible truth upon the character and mission of the
remnant people.
The inspired messengers were not always men. Women also served in a pro-
phetic role in Bible times. Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Anna, and the four daughters
of Philip are examples. The Spirit of God on one occasion came upon Mary, the
mother of our Lord, and upon Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Both
uttered prophetic truth vital to the times in which they lived and relevant to the
needs of the Christian church.
Years ago Ellen White wrote concerning the importance of understanding the
place of the Spirit of prophecy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
"As the end draws near and the work of giving the last warning to the world
extends, it becomes more important for those who accept 'present truth to have
a clear understanding of the nature and influence of the
Testimonies,
which God
in His providence has linked with the work of the third angel's message from its
very
rise."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 654.
We shall utilize passages from the Word of God to illustrate the work of the
ancient prophets. In places there may seem to be some repetition, but this pro-
vides opportunity to present new facets of the subject. In this quarter's lessons
parallels will be drawn between the experiences of Bible prophets and those of
Ellen White. The frequent mention of the name of one person is necessary in deal-
ing with the subject. But Christ is our leader—not any human being, however
gifted!
3
1-AQT 4-74
A
NEW SYMBOL FOR
S413641H- SCHOOL STUDY!
DAYBREAK SERIES
DAYBREAK, a new series of Adult
Sabbath School lessons will begin
with the first quarter of 1975.
The DAYBREAK series objective
is summarized in the following
inspired statement from page 196
of
Evangelism:
"The theme of
greatest importance is the third
angel's message, embracing the
messages of the first and second
angels. All should understand the
truths contained in these messages
and demonstrate them in the daily
life, for this is essential to salva-
tion. We shall have to study
earnestly, prayfully, in order to
understand these grand truths;
and our power to learn and com-
prehend will be taxed to the
utmost."
Developed by the Sabbath School
Department of the General Con-
ference, DAYBREAK provides for
a broad, balanced, and connected
study of the themes proclaimed
by the three symbolic angels of
Revelation 14. In each quarter dur-
ing the series, the lessons will cover
an area of study suggested in these
messages. These important lessons
will help each Sabbath School
member gain a better under-
standing of God's plan for prepar-
ing His people for the DAYBREAK
of eternity.
DAYBREAK Adult Sabbath School
lessons are also available on cas-
sette. Contact your Adventist Book
Center for complete information.
Lesson Titles for the Quarter
1.
Heaven's Media of Communication
2.
The Prophet's Call
3.
Scope of the Prophet's Work
4.
Prophetic Visions and Dreams
5.
The Prophet Delivers God's Message
6.
Testing the Claims of the Prophet
7.
Integrity of the Prophetic Message
8.
The Primacy of the Bible
9.
The Importance of the Spirit of Prophecy
10.
Christ's Church
11.
A Gift That Guards and Guides
12.
Prophecy, a Guiding Light
13.
Confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy
Adult Sabbath School Lessons (regular edition), No. 318, October-December, 1974. Single copy,
35 cents; one year (four issues), $1.40; no additional charge to countries requiring extra post-
age. Published in the U.S.A., by Pacific Press Publishing Association (a corporation of S.D.A.),
1350 Villa Street, Mountain View, California 94042. Second-class mail privileges authorized at
Mountain View, California. From 3579 requested. When a change of address is desired, please
be sure to send both old and new addresses.
Copyright 1974 by Pacific Press Publishing Association
Cover design by Concerned Communications
5
Adam and Eve communed
"with their Maker with no
obscuring veil between."
—DA 50.
Heaven's Media
of eommunication
LESSON 1
September
29
to October
5
"The heavens declare the glory of
God; and the firmament sheweth his
handywork. Day unto day uttereth
speech, and night unto night sheweth
knowledge." Ps. 19:1, 2.
Human reason alone has never been
able to solve the fundamental questions
of life. In practical, everyday affairs it
can accomplish much, but in matters
that should concern us most—where we
came from, our purpose in life, what lies
ahead—reason alone gropes blindly.
Adding scientific investigation to reason
does not provide an adequate source
of knowledge to enable us to answer
the most vital questions.
"But you and I as human beings
long for and need certainty; our minds
reach out for truth. We resent and rebel
against tyranny, but we welcome the
voice of authority. We want to know that
there is a purpose and a plan for our
lives. We want to be assured that wisdom
greater than our own is available to
guide us into the future.
"In Christianity man's need for au-
thority and certainty is fully met. Belief
in the existence of God, in His solicitous
interest in us individually and collec-
tively, and in His ability to carry out His
purposes, is the heart of a Christian's
faith. God is interested in me, and He
will guide my life to its appointed pur-
pose if I allow Him to direct my way.
Here is knowledge that brings certainty.
But to possess this certainty I must
know God.
"As we consider the sources of in-
formation about God, we might well echo
the question of Zophar: 'Canst thou by
searching find out God?' or, as the
Revised Standard Version states it, 'Can
you find out the deep things of God?'
Job 11:7. Without divine aid the human
mind can no more discover the things
of God than it can solve the problems
of life. We know about God only what
He has seen fit to disclose to us.
"God reveals to us as much of His
wisdom as it is best for us to compre-
hend. He reveals what we need to
understand of His eternal nature, His
ability to accomplish what He wills (om-
nipotence), His perfect knowledge (omni-
science), His all-pervading presence
(omnipresence), and His perfect charac-
ter. He has made plain His relationship
to man by setting forth His plan of life.
He reveals His interest in this world in
His way of dealing with His creation—
including what is in store for the future.
It has been left with us individually to
determine how we will use the means
God has provided for us to discover
Him and His will for us."—T. H. Jemi-
son,
Christian Beliefs,
page 3.
But what are the media by which God
reveals Himself and His purposes to
us? These revelations are needed, and
they have been mercifully provided, as
we shall note in the lesson this week.
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
A Dialogue, Gen. 1:27, 28
2.
A Barrier, Isa. 59:2
3.
Various Media, Ps. 19:1-4
4.
The Urim and Thummim,
Ex. 28:29, 30
5.
The Prophetic Channel, 1 Cor. 14:4
6.
Modern Guidance, Joel 2:28, 31
Heaven's Media of Communication
LESSON 1
❑
Sunday
September 29
A DIALOGUE
Part 1
In the following passage is a record of God's communicat-
ing with Adam and Eve. What means did He use to com-
municate with them?
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of
God created he him; male and female created he them. And
God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and
multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the
air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
Gen. 1:27, 28.
Notice that "the blessing for the animals [v. 22] was pro-
'nounced regarding them, 'God blessed them, saying,' whereas
the blessing for the human race was expressed 'unto them.' As
intelligent beings [created in God's image] they were able to
listen to God and to receive communications. This verse con-
tains the first revelation of God to man. . . .
"Subdue it.
This revelation also contains instruction con-
cerning man's duty and destiny, to rule over the earthly crea-
tion works, a commission expressed almost in the same words
as those of the divine council recorded in v. 26. The only
difference is the additional phrase, 'subdue it,' granting man
the right to utilize for his necessities the vast resources of the
earth."—SDA
Bible Commentary,
on Gen. 1:28.
On what other occasion did God speak directly to man?
Gen. 2:15-17.
This was a conversation. The first man and woman talked
to the Lord and listened to Him speak. Communion was open
and unhindered.
•
"So long as they remained loyal to the divine law, their
capacity to know, to enjoy, and to love would continually
increase. They would be constantly gaining new treasures of
knowledge, discovering fresh springs of happiness, and obtain-
ing clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the immeasurable,
unfailing love of
God."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 51.
THINK IT THROUGH
Is it possible today for a Christian to dialogue with God?
How?
"The holy pair were not only children under the fatherly
care of God but students receiving instruction from the all-wise
Creator. They were visited by angels, and were granted com-
munion with their Maker, with no obscuring veil between. . . .
The laws and operations of nature, which have engaged men's
study for six thousand years, were opened to their minds by
the infinite Framer and Upholder of
all."—Patriarchs and Proph-
ets,
pages 50, 51.
FURTHER STUDY
Education,
pages 20-22.
8
Heaven's Media of Communication
LESSON 1
❑
Monday
September 30
Part 2
A BARRIER
THINK IT THROUGH
What barrier now exists between man and God?
"But your iniquities have separated between you and your
God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will
not hear." Isa. 59:2.
"Your iniquities have become separators betwixt you and
your God." Rotherham,
The Emphasized Old Testament.
Since the fall, how has God communicated with man?
Heb. 1:1.
"At sundry times.
Gr.
polumeras,
'in many portions,' in
many ways.' The full light from the throne of God did not burst
upon men in one great flash of glory. Rather, it came slowly,
little by little, as men could comprehend it.
"In divers manners.
Gr.
polutropos,
'in various ways.' God
spoke through the prophets by spoken and written message, by
parable, and by means of visual aids. Whatever means were
employed, it was God who spoke."—SDA
Bible Commentary,
on Heb. 1:1.
If we accept the view that the Bible has been given to us
by the true and living God, then we must believe His declara-
tions in the Bible concerning the revelation of His character
given through His Son, Jesus Christ. God has spoken to the
human race in various ways and at different times since the
fall of man. Inspiration has been a principal medium.
It was God Himself who spoke.
Notice the words in He-
brews 1:1. "God . . . spake." The writer emphasizes the
fact that it was God who spoke through the prophets. The
book may bear the name of Isaiah, Amos, Daniel, or John,
but God is the source of their messages.
Are you aware of barriers in your life that prevent a daily
dialogue with God? How can these "separators" be removed?
"Had Adam and Eve never disobeyed their Creator, had
they remained in the path of perfect rectitude, they could have
known and understood God. But when they listened to the
voice of the tempter, and sinned against God, the light of the
garments of heavenly innocence departed from them; and in
parting with the garments of innocence, they drew about them
the dark robes of ignorance of God. The clear and perfect light
that had hitherto surrounded them had lightened everything
they approached; but deprived of that heavenly light, the pos-
terity of Adam could no longer trace the character of God in
His created works."—Ellen G. White Comments,
SDA Bible
Commentary,
Vol. 1,
p.
1084.
FURTHER STUDY
Patriarchs and Prophets,
pages 57, 58.
9
Heaven's Media of Communication
LESSON 1
❑
Tuesday
October I
Part 3
VARIOUS MEDIA
THINK IT THROUGH
What means of communication of God with man is given
in Psalm 19?
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and
night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor
language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone
out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the
world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun." Ps.
19:1-4.
See also Rom. 1:20.
"Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly,
those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumen-
tality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written
law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in
nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their
works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their
hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 638.
"Through
nature
and
revelation,
through His
providence,
and by the influence of
His Spirit,
God speaks to
us."—Steps
to Christ,
page 93. (Emphasis supplied.) Thus there are at
least four ways in which God speaks to us today individually.
Sometimes God has used more direct ways of communicat-
ing with people.
Through whom did God warn Lot? Gen. 19:1-3, 12, 13. See
also Heb. 1:14.
From time to time members of the human family have enter-
tained angels (Heb. 13:2) and communed with them as they
brought some message from heaven to the inhabitants of earth.
Christ and two angels appeared in person to Abraham. Gen.
18:1, 2, 22, 33;
Patriarchs and Prophets,
pages 138, 139. Com-
pare Judges 6:11, 12; 13:3, 8, 9; Luke 1:11, 19, 26, 27.
What means did God use to warn Pharaoh of coming
famine? Gen. 41:1-7.
God at times communicated through dreams to persons who
were not prophets, giving some specific information or warn-
ing. See Gen. 40:5; Dan. 2:1; 4:4, 5; Matt. 2:13, 14. These
divinely given dreams did not make the one who dreamed
them a prophet.
Did you ever know of an instance where a dream had reli-
gious significance? How can you be sure of the source of such
dreams?
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 1, pp. 600-604.
10
Heaven's Media
of Communication
LESSON 1
❑
Wednesday
October 2
Part 4
What means did God provide by which He might reveal His
THE URIM AND
will to ancient Israel through the high priest?
THUMMIM
"And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel
in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth
in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord con-
tinually. And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment
the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's
heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall
bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart
before the Lord continually." Ex. 28:29, 30.
See also Lev. 8:8.
In
Unger's Bible Dictionary
the following note appears on
page 1128: "These [the Urim and Thummim] formed the me-
dium through which the high priest ascertained the will of
Jehovah in regard to any important matter affecting the theoc-
racy (Num. 27:21). Even such early writers as Josephus, Philo,
and the Rabbins are unable to furnish any precise information
as to what the Urim and Thummin really were. On every side
we meet with confessions of ignorance."
But Ellen White wrote: "At the right and left of the breast-
plate were two large stones of great brilliancy. These were
known as the Urim and Thummim. By them the will of God
was made knoWn through the high priest. When questions
were brought for decision before the Lord, a halo of light encir-
cling the precious stone at the right was a token of the divine
consent or approval, while a cloud shadowing the stone at
the left was an evidence of denial or disapprobation."—Patri-
archs
and Prophets,
page 351.
Dr. Unger remarks, however, that "in
Urim,
Hebrew scholars,
with hardly an exception, have seen the plural of
ur
(light or
fire). . . . The literal English equivalent would of course be
'lights.'
"—Unger's Bible Dictionary,
page 1128.
THINK IT THROUGH
Does God always reveal His will to His people on every
essential subject? When I wish to know God's will for me
personally, what should I do?
"Those who decide to do nothing in any line that will dis-
please God, will know, after presenting their case before Him,
just what course to pursue. And they will receive not only
wisdom, but strength. Power for obedience, for service, will be
imparted to them, as Christ has promised. Whatever was given
to Christ—the 'all things' to supply the need of fallen men—
was given to Him as the head and representative of humanity.
And 'whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep
His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in
His sight.' 1 John 3:22."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 668.
FURTHER STUDY
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 351.
11
Heaven's Media of Communication
LESSON 1
❑
Thursday
October 3
Part 5
THE PROPHETIC
CHANNEL
To whom is the prophet's message directed?
"He that prophesieth edifieth the church." 1 Cor. 14:4.
"First of all, what is prophecy? Don't be too quick to an-
swer that prophecy is simply 'foretelling the future before it
happens.' For while this is certainly an important phase of
prophecy, it is not the only phase. The word 'prophecy' comes
from two Greek parts: pro means 'forth' or `before;' phemi
means 'to speak'—that is, in advance—or, 'to speak forth'—
that is, to announce something in front of other people. Proph-
ecy, therefore, is the speaking forth of the revealed mind of
God whether this utterance pertains to the present or to the
future."—Henry Herbert Ehrenstein,
Eternity,
August, 1966.
While the prophet's main function is to serve the church
as the Lord's spokesman, his work is not limited to the chil-
dren of God. Jonah and Daniel, for example, were God's
prophets, but they spoke portions of their messages to the
Gentile world.
"Prophecy is the revelation of the will of God by a man or
woman who is God's chosen spokesman. The prophet stands
first before God to discern His will, and then stands before
men to declare that divine will."—Henry H. Ehrenstein,
Eternity,
August, 1966.
By what means did God commonly impart His messages to
prophets? Num. 12:6; Hosea 12:10.
"The Infinite One by His Holy Spirit has shed light into the
minds and hearts of His servants. He has given dreams and
visions, symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was
thus revealed have themselves embodied the thought in human
language."—The
Great Controversy,
Introduction, page v.
THINK IT THROUGH
Read the first part of Isaiah 66:5. Then ask yourself the
question, What is my attitude toward the messages of the
Bible prophets? What is your answer?
"God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the
world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit,
qualified men and enabled them to do this work. He guided
the mind in the selection of what to speak and what to write.
The treasure was entrusted to earthen vessels, yet it is, none-
theless, from Heaven. The testimony is conveyed through the
imperfect expression of human language, yet it is the testi-
mony of God."—The
Great Controversy,
Introduction, pages vi,
vii.
FURTHER STUDY
The Great Controversy,
Introduction, pages v-vii.
12
Heaven's Media
of Communication
LESSON 1
❑
Friday
October 4
Part 6
What does the prophet Joel say about prophetic guidance
MODERN GUIDANCE
in the last days?
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out
my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your
young men shall see visions." "The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the
terrible day of the Lord come." Joel 2:28, 31.
"In immediate connection with the scenes of the great day
of God, the Lord by the prophet Joel has promised a special
manifestation of His Spirit. Joel 2:28. This prophecy received
a partial fulfillment in the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day
of Pentecost; but it will reach its full accomplishment in the
manifestation of divine grace which will attend the closing
work of the gospel."—The
Great Controversy,
Introduction,
page ix.
What is one important characteristic of the people of God
in the last days? Rev. 12:17; 19:10.
"The expression 'spirit of prophecy' refers specifically to
the 'manifestation of the Spirit' in the form of a special gift
of the Holy Spirit that inspires the recipient and enables him
to speak authoritatively as a representative of God (1 Cor. 12:
7-10) when 'moved by the Holy Ghost' to do so (2 Peter 1:21).
The context of the expression in Rev. 19:10 defines 'the testi-
mony of Jesus' and 'the spirit of prophecy' in this sense. In
view of the fact that the 'remnant' of ch. 12:17 specifically
refers to the church after the close of the 1260 prophetic days
of vs. 6 and 14, that is, after 1798 . . . , ch. 12:17 stands as
a clear prediction of the special manifestation of the 'spirit,'
or 'gift,' of prophecy in the church in our day. Seventh-day
Adventists believe the ministry of Ellen G. White meets the
specifications of Rev. 12:17 in a unique
way."—SDA Bible
Commentary,
Vol. 7, p. 876.
What did Paul say was given to the Corinthian believers
by Jesus Christ? 1 Cor. 1:4-7.
THINK IT THROUGH
Why should the church today especially need divine guid-
ance?
"When the apostles of Christ were to bear His gospel to the
world and to record it for all future ages, they were especially
endowed with the enlightenment of the Spirit. . . . At this time
[the final conflict] the special endowment of divine grace and
power is not less needful to the church than in apostolic days."
—The Great Controversy,
Introduction, pages ix, x.
FURTHER STUDY
Early Writings,
pages 76-78.
13
The
Prophets
Call
LESSON 2
October 6-12
"And the Lord took me as I followed the
flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, proph-
esy unto my people Israel." Amos 7:15.
"The prophet is a person supernaturally
called and qualified as a spokesman for God.
. . . The prophet was in a special sense God's
official representative to His people on earth.
. . . The prophet was chiefly a teacher of righ-
teousness, spirituality, and ethical conduct, a
moral reformer bearing messages of instruc-
tion, counsel, admonition, warning, whose
work often included the prediction of future
events. . . .
"A prophet first received instruction from
the Lord and then conveyed it to the people.
These 2 aspects of the prophet's work were
reflected in the names by which prophets were
known in OT times: seer
(chozeh
or
ro'eh )
and
prophet
(nabi').
The title of seer was more
common in the earlier period of Hebrew his-
tory (1 Sa 9:9). The •term used more frequently
in the OT was
nabi',
'prophet,' which desig-
nated him as God's spokesman. As a 'seer' the
prophet discerned God's will, and as 'prophet'
he conveyed it to others."—SDA
Bible Dic-
tionary,
page 879.
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
The Call, Isa. 6:8, 9
2.
Jeremiah's Commission, Jer. 1:4, 5, 9
3.
The Gift in the Old Testament,
Jude 14, 15 (first part)
4.
The Gift in the New Testament, Heb. 1:1, 2
5.
The Prophets' Humanity, James 5:17
6.
The Prophets Cruelly Treated,
Matt. 23:29-31
The Prophet's Call
Lesson 2
❑
Sunday
October 6
Part 1
THE CALL
What were the circumstances of Isaiah's call to his pro-
phetic office and who gave him his message?
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I
send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send
me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed,
but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not."
Isa. 6:8, 9.
The prophet did not choose his own work. His brethren did
not elect or appoint him to this important office. The prophetic
gift was not handed down from father to son. "The call to pro-
phetic office, and the accompanying bestowal of the prophetic
gift, were acts of God, as in the case of Isaiah (ch 6:8, 9),
Jeremiah (ch 1:5), Ezekiel (ch 2:3-5), and Amos (ch 7:15). Moses
received his call at the burning bush (Ex 3:1 to 4:17).
. . . Accompanying the prophetic call was a special endow-
ment qualifying the prophet to speak for God. This call con-
stituted each prophet a 'watchman' over the house of Israel
(see Eze 33:7), and made the prophet strictly accountable to
God for faithfully delivering the messages he was commis-
sioned to bear (vs 3,
6)."—SDA Bible Dictionary,
page 881.
How did Elijah announce Elisha's call to be his successor?
1 Kings 19:19-21. See 2 Kings 2:13, 14.
"As Elijah, divinely directed in seeking a successor, passed
the field in which Elisha was plowing, he cast upon the young
man's shoulders the mantle of consecration. . . . The Spirit
of God impressed Elisha's heart as to the meaning of the
prophet's act. To him it was the signal that God had called
him to be the successor of Elijah. . . .
"Elisha understood the meaning of the call. He knew it
was from God, and he did not hesitate to obey. . . . Without
hesitation he left a home where he was beloved, to attend the
prophet in his uncertain
life."—Prophets and Kings,
pages 219,
220.
THINK IT THROUGH
What kind of people hear and obey the call of heaven?
Does the Lord expect from all the same kind of service?
"The call to place all on the altar of service comes to each
one. We are not all asked to serve as Elisha served, nor are
we all bidden to sell everything we have; but God asks us to
give His service the first place in our lives, to allow no day to
pass without doing something to advance His work in the
earth."—Prophets and Kings,
page 221.
FURTHER STUDY
Prophets and Kings,
pages 217-220.
16
The Prophet's Call
Lesson 2
❑
M
onday
October 7
Part 2
What was God's message to Jeremiah when called to the
JEREMIAH'S
prophetic office?
COMMISSION
"Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before
I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou
camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained
thee a prophet unto the nations. . . . Then the Lord put
forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said
unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." Jer.
1:4, 5, 9.
Credentials are those things that give "title to credit or
confidence." What was it about Jeremiah that warranted the
confidence of the people of Judah? Jeremiah's "vocation was
his, not by human choice, but by virtue of a direct commission
from God. The deep sense of the divine call was the driving
force of his ministry and his support and stay in moments of
discouragement against the hostility of his people."—SDA
Bible
Commentary,
on Jer. 1:4.
To whom does the Lord often turn to do His work? 1 Cor.
1:26-31.
THINK IT THROUGH
Ellen White humbly wrote concerning her call in her youth
to serve as God's messenger to His people: "My Saviour
declared me to be His messenger. 'Your work,' He instructed
me, 'is to bear . . . the message to the erring ones, to carry
the word before unbelievers, and with pen and voice to reprove
from the Word actions that are not right."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 32.
In an ancient school the students had a three-years course.
In the first year they were called the wise men; in the second
they were called the philosophers, those who wished to be
wise men; in the third year they were called the disciples,
learners.
It is from among humble men and women who are willing
to receive divine instruction that God calls His messengers to
serve His church. Is today any different from Jeremiah's time?
What was Jeremiah's principal qualification for prophetic
office? See Jeremiah 1:6, 7. What could be said of Ellen
White at the time she was called?
"God can use every person just in proportion as He can put
His Spirit into the soul temple. The work that He will accept
is the work that reflects His image. His followers are to bear,
as their credentials to the world, the ineffaceable character-
istics of His immortal principles."—The
Ministry of Healing,
page 37.
FURTHER STUDY
Prophets and Kings,
pages 407, 408.
17
The Prophet's
Call
Lesson 2
❑
Tuesday
October 8
Part 3
Who is the earliest prophet mentioned in the Bible?
THE GIFT IN THE
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of
OLD TESTAMENT
these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of
his saints, to execute judgment upon all." Jude 14, 15 (first
part).
"Enoch was the first prophet among mankind. He foretold
by prophecy the second coming of Christ to our world, and his
work at that time. . . . His prophecy is not found in the writ-
ings of the Old Testament. We may never find any books
which relate to the works of Enoch, but Jude, a prophet of
God, mentions the work of Enoch."—Ellen G. White Comments,
SDA Bible Commentary,
Vol. 1, p. 1088.
What is said concerning the word of the Lord in the days of
Samuel? 1 Sam. 3:1.
The
Revised Standard Version
reads: "And the word of the
Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision."
Yet there is the record of a solemn message delivered to Eli
from the "Lord the God of Israel," through a "man of God."
1 Sam. 2:27-36.
What gift did God entrust to Daniel? Dan. 1:17 (last part).
"While Daniel clung to his God with unwavering trust, the
Spirit of prophetic power came upon him. While he was
instructed of man in the duties of court life, he was taught of
God to read the mysteries of future ages and to present to
coming generations, through figures and similitudes, the won-
derful things that would come to pass in the last days."—The
Sanctified Life,
page 24.
Were those prophets inspired whose writings were not in-
cluded in the Old Testament canon? 1 Chron. 29:29; 2 Chron.
9:29.
"During the ages while the Scriptures of both the Old and
the New Testament were being given, the Holy Spirit did not
cease to communicate light to individual minds, apart from
the revelations to be embodied in the Sacred Canon. . . . Men-
tion is made [in the Bible] of prophets in different ages, of
whose utterances nothing is recorded.
In
like manner, after
the close of the canon of the Scripture, the Holy Spirit was
still to continue its work, to enlighten, warn, and comfort the
children of God."—The
Great Controversy,
Introduction, page
viii.
Why are Ellen G. White's writings not a part of the canon
of Scripture?
Patriarchs and Prophets,
pages 84-86.
THINK IT THROUGH
FURTHER STUDY
18
The Prophet's Call
Lesson 2
❑
Wednesday
October
9
Part 4
THE GIFT IN THE
NEW TESTAMENT
Who was the greatest spokesman for God?
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in
time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last
days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir
of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." Heb. 1:1, 2.
See also John 6:14.
Christ referred to Himself as a prophet. Matt. 13:53-57. He
fulfilled the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15, 18. The multitude
who were fed by the loaves and fishes recognized in the mir-
acle-working Christ the Messiah-Prophet that "should come."
Matt. 11:3. Like all prophets before and since, He spake for
God and on His behalf. Indeed, He spoke as God, the supreme
revelation of divinity. And note that in Jesus' messages the
predictive element was prominent. See Matthew 24; Mark 13;
Luke 21.
"Who, but Jesus Christ by His Spirit and divine power,
guided the pens of the sacred historians that to the world
might be presented the precious record of the sayings and
works of Jesus Christ?"—Ellen G. White, Manuscript 1, 1892.
In whom was the prophetic gift exercised in early New
Testament times? Luke 2:25-38. See also Luke 1:67-79.
Paul indicated that the gift of prophecy would remain in the
Christian church till the close of time. Eph. 4:11-13.
How did Paul receive divine revelations? 2 Cor. 12:1-4.
THINK IT THROUGH
"The apostle Paul early in his Christian experience was
given special opportunities to learn the will of God concerning
the followers of Jesus. He was 'caught up to the third heaven,'
'into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not
lawful for a man to utter.' He himself acknowledged that many
'visions and revelations' had been given him 'of the Lord.' His
understanding of the
.
principles of gospel truth was equal to
that of 'the very chiefest apostles.' . . .
"The impression that he received when in vision was ever
with him, enabling him to give a correct representation of
Christian character. By word of mouth and by letter he bore a
message that ever since has brought help and strength to the
church of God."—The
Acts of the Apostles,
pages 469, 470.
In what sense is every Christian to do the same work as
the prophet?
FURTHER STUDY
Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 480;
The Desire of Ages,
page 98.
19
2-AQT 4-74
The Prophet's Call
Lesson 2
❑
Thursday
October 10
Part 5
Did Elijah's call to the prophetic office remove his human-
THE PROPHETS'
ity from him?
HUMANITY
"Elias [Elijah] was a man subject to like passions as we
are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it
rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six
months." James 5:17.
Prophets are human beings, and God only is infallible. God
calls the prophet to reveal the divine message. The instruction
received exerts a positive influence on his own life, but he is
not deprived of thinking ordinary thoughts or of conversing on
topics of everyday interest. He may make mistakes as did
Peter (see Gal. 2:11-14), or complain to God as did Jeremiah
(see Jer. 12:1; 15:15-18), but this does not invalidate the divine
message he bears for God. In her day Ellen White lived an
exemplary life, but she said concerning herself: "In regard to
infallibility, I never claimed it; God alone is infallible."—Se-
lected
Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 37.
Desirous of learning God's will for Judah, of whom did
Hilkiah the priest and his associates seek counsel? 2 Kings
22:12-14.
THINK IT THROUGH
FURTHER STUDY
20
Commenting on this text, *Joseph Priestly remarks: " 'It
pleased God to distinguish several women with the spirit of
prophecy, as well as other great attainments, to shew that, in
his sight, and especially in things of a spiritual nature, there
is no essential pre-eminence in the male
sex.'—Notes on All the
Books of Scripture,
vol. 2, p. 40." (Quoted by W. E. Read in
The Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, and the Church,
page 110.)
When Ellen White [then Ellen Harmon] was just a young
woman of seventeen—soon after her first vision—she wrote:
"As God has shown me in holy vision the travels of the
Advent people to the Holy City . . . , it may be my duty to
give you a short sketch of what God has revealed to me. . . .
I have tried to bring back a good report and a few grapes from
the heavenly Canaan, for which many would stone me, as the
congregation bade stone Caleb and Joshua for their report.
(Num. 14:10.) But I declare to you, my brethren and sisters in
the Lord, it is a goodly land, and we are well able to go up and
possess
it."—Early Writings,
pages 13, 14. (Written in April,
1846.)
Ellen White's sketch of her earliest vision was a "good re-
port," encouraging and full of hope for the future of the
advent people. Throughout her later messages this emphasis
runs like a golden thread.
Prophets and Kings,
pages 167-170.
The Prophet's Call
Lesson 2
❑
Friday
October 11
Part 6
THE PROPHETS
CRUELLY TREATED
How were the prophets and messengers of the Lord often
treated?
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because
ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres
of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our
fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the
blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto your-
selves, that ye are the children of them which killed the
prophets." Matt. 23:29-31.
See also Acts 7:52.
Often the prophet was called upon to deliver unpleasant
messages of reproof or correction. At times he met a spirit of
retaliation and revenge. Early in her experience Ellen White
was confronted with an adverse reception of a message of
reproof. When instructed as to her duty she was told: " 'The
loss is not yours, but mine. God sees not as man sees. He lays
out the work that He would have done, and you do not know
which will prosper, this or that.'
"—Testimonies,
Vol. 2, p. 11.
How did Ahab respond to the solemn prophetic message
God gave to him through Micaiah? 2 Chron. 18:17, 25, 26.
What was one of Jeremiah's experiences as God's messen-
ger to rebellious Judah? Jer. 37:11-17; 38:6.
Was Ellen White's pathway always a pleasant one? She
wrote concerning her task: "From the beginning of my work, I
have been pursued by hatred, reproach, and falsehood. Base
imputations and slanderous reports have been greedily gath-
ered up and widely circulated by the rebellious, the formalist,
and the fanatic. . . .
"This warfare has been kept up for nearly forty years, but
I have not felt at liberty even to notice their vile speeches, re-
proaches, and insinuations. . .
"Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, He who was equal with God,
was in the world thirty-three years, and yet there were but few
who acknowledged His divine character. [See John 15:18-201
And can I, who am so weak, so unworthy, a frail creature of
humanity, expect greater success than was enjoyed by the
Saviour of the world?"—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, pp. 69, 70.
THINK IT THROUGH
Can you think of reasons why the prophetic voice is
needed in modern times? What attitude to the prophetic
message do you assume? What reasons do people have for
ridiculing or persecuting the prophets of God?
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5,
pp.
657-659.
21
LESSON 3
October 13-19
"And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out
of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved."
Hosea 12:13.
scope
of
the
Prophet's
work
From a study of the life and work of Bible
prophets one can observe the broad scope of
their spiritual activities. Beyond the immediate
and special functions of receiving visions and
imparting light in sermons or written messages,
these inspired men spelled out by their holy lives-
and example the high destiny of the church in
godly living and witnessing. Elijah and Elisha
were reformers and educators. Jeremiah, Nathan,
and John the Baptist
were
reprovers of sin. Isaiah
was a counselor; Paul and Peter, missionaries,
evangelists, and pastors; Ezekiel, a pastor and
shepherd of God's exiled flock.
"All the instruction we need to guide us in this
life and to prepare us for the life to come has
been given us through the gift of prophecy. No
phase of life has been overlooked. The messages
which the Spirit 'moved' the prophets to write
provide a basis for our every decision. However,
the principles have not been stated theoretically
and catalogued so we may use the Scriptures like
a dictionary or encyclopedia without having read
the whole book and made its ideas our own. Most
of the principles have been illustrated in life situa-
tions. It is left with us to study the situations and
the way God dealt with human beings, to dis-
cover the principles involved, and to apply them
to our life in comparable situations....
"No matter what question or problem faces
us, God has communicated enough knowledge
of His will to guide our understanding and de-
cision if we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us."—
T. H. Jemison,
Christian Beliefs,
page 55.
Ellen White wrote: "My work
has covered so many lines that
I cannot call myself other than
a messenger, sent to bear a
message from the Lord to His
people, and to take up work in any line
that He points
out."—Selected Mes-
sages,
Bk. 1, p. 34.
R. R. Figuhr, for over twelve years
world president of the Seventh-day Ad-
ventist Church, declared that the spirit
of prophecy has been the se-
cret of success in the denom-
ination's various departments
and organizations.
"The gift of prophecy has
guided, counseled, warned, and
inspired. The secret of our effi-
cient organization and the ex-
tension of our work around the
world, as well as our clear position on
great fundamental principles, can all
to this divinely inspired
. I deeply appreciate this
gift."
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
A Predictor, Amos 3:7
2.
A Varied Work, Hosea
12:13
3.
An Educator, 2 Kings
6:1-3
4.
A Reprover of Sin, Jer.
1:17, 18
be traced
counsel. .
cts
cuices
corrects
inspires
warns
counsels
rec
1
S. Relation to Prior
Prophets, Zech. 1:4
r
,
Droves
6. Revival Message,
Amos 4:12
Scope of the Prophet's Work
LESSON 3
❑
Sunday
October 13
Part 1
What does God reveal to His prophets?
A PREDICTOR
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his
secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7.
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing]
in reference to the
punishment, correction, or blessing of his people—
"But he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.]
They are in strict correspondence with him, and he shows
them
things to come.
Such
secrets
of God are revealed to
them, that they may inform the people; that, by repentance
and conversion, they may avoid the evil, and, by walking closely
with God, secure the continuance of his favour."—Clarke's
Commentary,
Vol.
4,
p. 677.
The prophets of God often announced to the sinful people of
Israel and Judah God's "secrets" as threatenings of wrath and
promises of blessing. These were all conditional prophecies or
predictions, and the predictive work of the prophets was largely
of this character. The prophet, however, is more than a
fore-
caster.
He speaks
for
God as His representative and opens
up the "secret" intentions and purposes of the divine mind.
Numerous predictions were made by the Bible prophets
meeting fulfillment in local events, e.g., Jeremiah's forecast
of the death of Hananiah (Jer. 38:12-17) and Simeon's predic-
tion concerning the work Jesus would do and the sorrow that
would pierce Mary's heart. Luke 2:34, 35. Predictions were
also made that met fulfillment in sweeping events of secular
and church history. Some illustrations of these are found in
Daniel 2 and 7; Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21. The predictions
of Ellen White were of both kinds. See
Testimonies,
Vol. 8, pp.
97-103;
The Great Controversy,
pages 464, 644.
THINK IT THROUGH
The prophecies of God's judgments are fulfilled unless
changes come in the parties concerned. Our actions have
something to do with altering God's purposes. Does this rep-
resent mercy or instability on God's part? In whom does the
instability lie?
On every package sent out by a certain printer in a large
city of the eastern United States is an impressive trademark.
It is simply a circle within which is his name and the words "I
never disappoint." Every promise the Lord ever made might
well bear that mark.
FURTHER STUDY
The Desire of Ages,
page 234.
24
Scope of the Prophet's Work
LESSON 3
❑
Monday
October 14
Part 2
What was Moses' work as Israel's prophet?
A VARIED WORK
"And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,
and by a prophet was he preserved." Hosea 12:13.
Moses made few predictions regarding the future, but he
was "a prophet," used of God to lead Israel and to protect
them from Satan's deceptions and from their enemies. Not all
who were called to the prophetic office did the same type of
work. John the Baptist performed no miracles, but he was sent
to prepare the way of the Lord. Jesus declared that John was
a prophet and that "there hath not risen a greater than John
the Baptist." Matt. 11:9, 11. Samuel's work was largely one
of spiritual guidance.
What was the first great truth revealed in Moses' writings?
Gen. 1:1.
"The preparation of the written word began in the time of
Moses. Inspired revelations were then embodied in an inspired
book. This work continued during the long period of sixteen
hundred years—from Moses, the historian of creation and the
law, to John, the recorder of the most sublime truths of the
gospel."—The
Great Controversy,
Introduction, page v.
From what source did Moses receive the various statutes
and precepts given to the children of Israel? Deut. 4:1, 2, 5.
"Moses was commanded to write, as God should bid him,
judgments and laws giving minute instruction as to what was
required. These directions relating to the duty of the people to
God, to one another, and to the stranger were only the princi-
ples of the Ten Commandments amplified and given in a spe-
cific manner, that none need
err."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 364.
In
Testimonies,
Vol. 2, p. 608 Ellen White describes the
nature of the Lord's instruction through her for Israel today.
"It is to come down to the minutiae of life, keeping the feeble
faith from dying, and pressing home upon believers the neces-
sity of shining as lights in the world."
THINK IT THROUGH
In what specific ways have the prophets' testimonies influ-
enced me most?
"If the people who now profess to be God's peculiar trea-
sure would obey His requirements, as specified in His word,
special testimonies would not be given to awaken them to their
duty and impress upon them their sinfulness and their fearful
danger in neglecting to obey the word of
God."—Testimonies,
Vol. 2, p. 607.
FURTHER STUDY
Education,
pages 173-184.
25
Scope of the Prophet's Work
LESSON 3
❑
Tuesday
October 15
Part 3
What Old Testament incident reveals the prophet as an
AN EDUCATOR
educator, living and working with his students?
"And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now,
the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us
go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a
beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell.
And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray
thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go."
2 Kings 6:1-3.
"The schools of the prophets were founded by Samuel to
serve as a barrier against the widespread corruption, to pro-
vide for the moral and spiritual welfare of the youth, and to
promote the future prosperity of the nation by furnishing it with
men qualified to act in the fear of God as leaders and coun-
selors."—Patriarchs
and Prophets,
page 593.
The basic testimony on Christian education and church
schools among Seventh-day Adventists appeared in 1872.
Ellen White's counsel on education throughout her life may be
summarized as follows:
Build schools where youth can be taught the Bible. Train
the hand and the head as well as the heart. Give them a
well-balanced training. Teach them how to live for this world
and to prepare for the next. And let this good work be ex-
tended to all the world.
In the book
Education
Ellen White wrote: "To restore in
man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfec-
tion in which he was created, to promote the development of
body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation
might be realized—this was to be the work of redemption. This
is the object of education, the great object of
life."—Education,
pages 15, 16.
What was often the result of the messages of Jeremiah?
Jer. 29:19; 32:33.
Jeremiah's experience is illustrative of the experience of
other prophets. They acted as guides and teachers of the
people in doctrine and right living, though often their work
was frowned upon by the careless and the guilty. The proph-
et's voice was God's call to higher, holier living.
THINK IT THROUGH
What is the relation of redemption to education? How long
does the educational and redemptive work of God continue
in our lives?
FURTHER STUDY
Education,
pages 45-50.
26
Scope of the Prophet's Work
LESSON 3
❑
Wednesday
October 16
Part 4
A REPROVER OF SIN
THINK IT THROUGH
What is a difficult yet most important feature of the proph-
et's work as illustrated in Jeremiah's commission?
"Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak
unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their
faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, behold, I have
made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and
brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of
Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof,
and against the people of the land." Jer. 1:17, 18.
Ellen White was conscious that her work as God's messen-
ger included the role of a moral reformer: "I have not come to
cry peace; you can hear this voice wherever you go. There are
those who will be glad to lull you to sleep in your carnal se-
curity; but I have a different work. My message is to alarm
you, to bid you reform your lives, and cease your rebellion
against the God of the universe. Take the Word of God, and
see if you are in harmony with it. Is your character such as
will bear the search of the heavenly investigation? Remember,
Jesus says: 'Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven.' "—Ellen G. White,
Review
and Herald,
June 22, 1911. See
Testimonies,
Vol. 4, pp. 12, 13.
What are the thoughts that God thinks "toward" His peo-
ple? Jer. 29:11-14.
Judah, because of her sin, was to go into captivity. But the
Lord would bring the people back again—first to Himself and
second to their Judean homes. Thus the prophet's messages
would be first a reproof for sin and forecast of judgment and
second a harbinger of deliverance.
Are the prophetic messages of rebuke an omen of rejection
or a call to accept God's love? Rev. 3:19.
Would it not be well for us today to put ourselves in the
place of ancient Israel and Judah and ask: Would we have
done as they did under the circumstances? Is God's rebuke
the same as God's rejection?
"The experience of Israel, . . . as recorded in the one
hundred fifth and one hundred sixth psalms, contains lessons
of warning that the people of God in these last days especially
need to study. I urge that these chapters be read at least
once every
week."—Testimonies to Ministers,
pages 98, 99.
FURTHER STUDY
Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, pp. 33, 34.
27
Scope of the Prophet's Work
LESSON 3
❑
Thursday
October 17
Part 5
RELATION TO
PRIOR PROPHETS
"Why did Zechariah endorse and reemphasize the messages
of "former prophets"?
"Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets
have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now
from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did
not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord." Zech. 1:4.
Read Zech. 1:3-6; 7:7-14. Compare 1 Cor. 14:37.
The prophetic writings show a remarkable agreement, each
of the prophets being under the control of the Spirit of God.
In Bible times contemporary prophets studied what "the former
prophets" had written. Dan. 9:2. In the Ellen White writings
the messages of the Bible prophets were exalted and magni-
fied so that the beauty of truth stood out. This is a distinct
mark of a genuine messenger of God.
"The
Testimonies
are not to belittle the word of God, but to
exalt it and attract minds to it, that the beautiful simplicity of
truth may impress
all."—Testimonies,
Vol. 2, p. 606.
Stephen Haskell, early Bible teacher and administrator of
the church, wrote concerning this aspect of the prophet's work:
"What are some of the unmistakable fruits by which a true
prophet may be recognized? The testimony of every true
prophet will agree with the testimony of the prophets of God
before him, and it may be a further development of the same
truth uttered by them . . . 'as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times.' "
THINK IT THROUGH
Compare the contemporary and the prior prophets. Are
they rivals? Do they compete, each for a following of his
own? Or does the true contemporary prophet confirm the
faith of the church in the revelations of "the former prophets,"
magnifying them and showing their relevance for today? See
1 Cor. 14:32.
"If you lose confidence in the testimonies you will drift away
from Bible
truth."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 98.
"The testimonies of His Spirit call your attention to the
Scriptures, point out your defects of character, and rebuke
your sins; therefore you do not heed them. And to justify
your carnal, ease-loving course you begin to doubt whether
the testimonies are from God. If you would obey their teach-
ings you would be assured of their divine origin. Remember,
your unbelief does not affect their truthfulness. If they are from
God they will
stand."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 234.
FURTHER STUDY
Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,
"The Spirituality of
the Law," pages 55, 56.
28
;cope of the Prophet's Work
LESSON 3
❑
Friday
October 18
Part 6
REVIVAL MESSAGE
THINK IT THROUGH
What message may be considered as summing up the over-
all objective of the messages of the prophets?
"Therefore thus will I do unto thee, 0 Israel: and because
I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, 0 Israel."
Amos 4:12.
"Prepare to meet thy God" was the consuming burden of
Amos to his backslidden people. It is the message of the
prophets through all time including the last days. The first
Testimony pamphlet published in 1855 closed with an article
entitled, "Prepare to Meet the
Lord."—Testimonies,
Vol. 1, pp.
123-126. In the last article in the ninth volume of the
Testi-
monies,
published forty-four years later, in 1909, the same pen
urges:
"My brother, my sister, I urge you to prepare for the coming
of Christ in the clouds of heaven. Day by day cast the love of
the world out of your hearts. Understand by experience what
it means to have fellowship with Christ. Prepare for the judg-
ment, that when Christ shall come, to be admired in all them
that believe, you may be among those who will meet Him in
peace."—Testimonies,
Vol. 9, p. 285.
The messages of Elijah the prophet to apostate Israel, of
John the Baptist to the Jews in Christ's time, and of Seventh-
day Adventists to the world today are alike. The call to prepare
to meet God is sounding
now.
Are we giving this message
effectively? Personally?
What is involved in preparation to meet God face to face?
This call by the prophet implies basic needs for chcinge in our
lives. Will the study of the nine volumes of the "Testimonies"
help us to discern these needs?
" 'Prepare to meet thy God' (Amos 4:12), is the warning to
be given to the world. It is a warning to us individually. We are
called upon to lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth
so easily beset us. There is a work for you, my brother, to do,
to yoke up with Christ. Make sure that your building is on the
rock. Do not risk eternity on a probability. You may not live
to participate in the perilous scenes on which we are now
entering. The life of no one of us is assured for any given
time. Should you not watch every moment? . . .
"Are my sins pardoned through faith in Christ? Have I been
born again? Am I complying with the invitation, 'Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest' (Matt. 11:28)?"—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 2, pp. 116, 117.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 8, pp. 332, 333.
29
pRophetic
visions
"While I was praying at the family altar, the Holy
Ghost fell upon me, and I seemed to be rising higher
and higher, far above the dark world. I turned to
look for the Advent people in the world, but could
not find them, when a voice said to me, `Look again,
and look a little higher.' At this I raised my eyes,
and saw a straight and narrow path, cast up high
above the world. On this path the Advent people
were traveling to the city, which was at the farther
end of the path."—Early
Writings,
page 14.
"After I came out of vision, everything looked
changed; a gloom was spread over all that I beheld.
Oh, how dark this world looked to me. I wept when
I found myself here, and felt homesick. I had seen
a better world, and it had spoiled this for me. I told
the view to our little band in Portland, who then
fully believed it to be of God. That was a powerful
time. The solemnity of eternity rested upon us."—
Early Writings,
page 20.
LESSON 4
October
20-26
AnO OReams
"And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the
Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in
a dream." Num. 12:6.
God spoke to the prophet through visions. No one rule can be laid down
concerning the manner in which the visions were given or the way in which
the light was conveyed to the prophet. The words of Hebrews 1:1—"God, who
at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by
the prophets"—take on special significance.
The
SDA Bible Dictionary
defines the prophetic "vision" as follows: "A super-
natural means by which God communicates His will to His servants the prophets
(Is 1:1, etc)
A vision may come in waking moments (Dan 10:7; Acts 9:3, 7),
by day (Acts 10:3) or night (Gen 46:2), or it may come as a dream (Num 12:6).
The Bible makes no sharp distinction between visions and dreams, except pos-
sibly that dreams come during hours of slumber. In vision the prophet becomes
oblivious of his natural surroundings and the Spirit of God so controls the
sensory areas of his brain that the prophet seems literally to see, hear, and
feel what is presented to him in vision. A vision may contain instruction for
God's people, or reveal facts about the future that will enable God's people to
live more intelligently in the present. In vision the prophet sometimes seems to
be transported over considerable distances (see Eze 3:12-15; 8:3; 40:2; cf. 2 Cor
12:2-4)."—Art. "Vision," pages 1134, 1135.
Throughout Ellen White's long ministry of seventy years (1845-1915) revela-
tions came to her in visions of the day and visions of the night. The light thus
communicated to her by God she embodied in her addresses, numerous periodi-
cal articles, hundreds of personal, written testimonies, and in her many pub-
lished books—at the present time about sixty in English.
LESSON OUTLINE
1
God-given Visions, Num. 12:6
2.
Visions and Physical Phenomena,
Dan. 10:7, 8, 17, 18
3.
Ellen White's Experience in Vision
4.
5.
6.
Prophetic Night Visions, Dan. 7:1,
2, 13
Reality of the Prophetic Dream,
Ezek. 40:2, 4
How Light Came to Ellen White
Prophetic Visions and Dreams
LESSON 4
❑
Sunday
October 20
Part 1
How did God say He would communicate with one whom
GOD-GIVEN VISIONS
He chose to be a prophet?
"And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet
among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a
vision, and will speak unto him in a dream." Num. 12:6.
See also Gen. 15:1.
Under what circumstances was Ezekiel given a vivid vision?
Ezek. 8:1, 3, 4.
Ellen White's experience in vision was similar to that of
Ezekiel. Often her visions were given while she was in the
presence of others. She also received light from God in the
dreams of the night season. She wrote:
"As inquiries are frequently made as to my state in vision,
and after I come out, I would say that when the Lord sees fit
to give a vision, I am taken into the presence of Jesus and
angels, and am entirely lost to earthly things. I can see no
farther than the angel directs me. My attention is often di-
rected to scenes transpiring upon earth.
"At times I am carried far ahead into the future and shown
what is to take place. Then again I am shown things as they
have occurred in the past. After I come out of vision I do not
at once remember all that I have seen, and the matter is not
so clear before me until I write, then the scene rises before me
as was presented in vision, and I can write with freedom.
Sometimes the things which I have seen are hid from me after
I come out of vision, and I cannot call them to mind until I am
brought before a company where that vision applies, then the
things which I have seen come to my mind with force."—
Spiritual Gifts,
Vol. 2, pp. 292, 293.
THINK IT THROUGH
What is the difference between the dream of a prophet
and the ordinary dream of the average person? How may
one recognize a divinely inspired dream?
"The multitude of dreams arise from the common things of
life, with which the Spirit of God has nothing to do. There are
also false dreams, as well as false visions, which are inspired
by the spirit of Satan. But dreams from the Lord are classed
in the word of God with visions and are as truly the fruits of
the spirit of prophecy as visions. Such dreams, taking into the
account the persons who have them and the circumstances
under which they are given, contain their own proofs of their
genuineness."—Testimonies, Vol. 1, pp. 569, 570.
FURTHER STUDY
Early Writings,
pages 13, 14.
32
Prophetic Visions and Dreams
LESSON 4
❑
Monday
October 21
Part 2
VISIONS AND
PHYSICAL
PHENOMENA
THINK IT THROUGH
What changes did Daniel note in himself in connection with
one of his visions?
"And I Daniel alone saw the vision. . . . And there re-
mained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in
me into corruption, and I retained no strength." "As for me,
straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is
there breath left in me. Then there came again and touched
me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened
me." Dan. 10:7, 8, 17, 18.
How is the experience of another prophet described? Num.
24:2-4.
"Falling into a trance, but having his eyes open. Literally,
'falling down and his eyes uncovered.' The words 'into a
trance' are supplied. The meaning seems to be that he fell
down on his face on the ground, but that his eyes remained
open. . . . Compare the experience of Saul (1 Sam. 19:23, 24),
of Ezekiel (Eze. 1:28), of Daniel (Dan. 8:17, 18; 10:8-19), of
John (Rev. 1:17). . . . It is certainly true that in whatever
position his body may have been, whether prostrate or upright,
his natural senses were held inoperative and his sensory per-
ception was controlled by the Spirit of God."—SDA
Bible Com-
mentary,
on Num. 24:4.
What does Paul say about his experience while in one of
his visions? 2 Cor. 12:1-4.
"In his visions Paul saw many things not lawful for a man to
utter. But many other things which he saw in the heavenly
courts were woven into his teachings. The truth flashed from
his lips as a sharp, two-edged sword. The impressions made
upon his mind by the Holy Spirit were strong and vivid, and
they were presented to the people in a way that no one else
could present them. Paul spoke in the demonstration of the
Spirit and with power."—Ellen G. White Comments,
SDA Bible
Commentary,
Vol. 6, pp. 1106, 1107.
How can we detect pseudo-charismatic manifestations? May
we expect such phenomena in the last days? Matt. 24:11, 24.
"The apostle Paul was highly honored of God, being taken
in holy vision to the third heaven, where he looked upon
scenes whose glories might not be revealed to mortals. Yet
all this did not lead him to boastfulness or self-confidence."
—Ellen G. White Comments,
SDA Bible Commentary,
Vol. 6,
p. 1107.
FURTHER STUDY
Early Writings,
pages 15, 16.
33
Prophetic Visions and Dreams
LESSON 4
❑
Tuesday
October 22
Part 3
ELLEN WHITE'S
EXPERIENCE
IN VISION
THINK IT THROUGH
Many persons witnessed Ellen White in vision. G. I. But-
ler, president of the General Conference while Ellen White was
in mid-life, in a series of articles for the
Review and Herald
reported physical phenomena paralleling the experience of
Daniel.
"They [the visions] generally, but not always, occur in the
midst of earnest seasons of religious interest while the Spirit
of God is specially present. . . . The time Mrs. White is in
this condition has varied from fifteen minutes to one hundred
and eighty. During this time the heart and pulse continue to
beat, the eyes are always wide open, and seem to be gazing
at some far-distant object, and are never fixed on any person
or thing in the room. They are always directed upward. They
exhibit a pleasant expression. There is no ghastly look or any
resemblance of fainting. . . .
"While she is in vision, her breathing entirely ceases. No
breath ever escapes her nostrils or lips when in this condition.
This has been proved by many witnesses, among them physi-
cians of skill, and themselves unbelievers in the visions, on
some occasions being appointed by a public congregation for
the purpose. . . . When she goes into this condition, there is
no appearance of swooning or faintness, her face retains its
natural color, and the blood circulates as usual. Often she
loses her strength temporarily and reclines or sits; but at other
times she stands up. She moves her arms gracefully, and often
her face is lighted up with radiance as though the glory of
Heaven rested upon her. She is utterly unconscious of every
thing going on around her, while she is in vision, having no
knowledge whatever of what is said and done in her presence."
—Review and Herald,
June 9, 1874.
Neither in the Bible nor in the writings of Ellen White do we
find the physical phenomena cited as a test. It was an evi-
dence—one among many. To those who were eyewitnesses of
Mrs. White in vision, the experience was unforgettable and
inspired faith and built confidence in the gift. In the earlier
years of.her experience the visions were frequently given pub-
licly. In the later years (1884-1915) the visions were usually
given privately at night.
Were these manifestations natural or supernatural? Is it
possible to explain the visions of the Bible prophets, or of
God's messenger, Ellen White, by scientific methods?
FURTHER STUDY
Early Writings,
pages 17, 18.
34
'rophetic Visions and Dreams
LESSON 4
❑
Wednesday
October 23
Part 4
PROPHETIC NIGHT
VISIONS
THINK IT THROUGH
During what hours did Daniel receive the vision described
in Daniel 7?
"In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had
a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote
the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake
and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four
winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. . . . I saw in
the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came
with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days,
and they brought him near before him." Dan. 7:1, 2, 13.
Often while the prophet slept, and his mind was free from
what went on about him, God revealed truth to him in a
prophetic dream or vision of the night. "It does not seem pos-
sible to draw any very precise distinction between the pro-
phetic 'dream' and the prophetic 'vision.' In the case of . . .
Daniel (Dan. vii, 1), they seem to melt into each other."—
M'Clintock and Strong,
Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological,
and Ecclesiastical Literature,
Vol. 8, art. "Prophet," p. 646.
What other prophet received visions during the night? Acts
16:9. See also Gen. 46:2-4.
Ellen White was favored by God with approximately 2,000
revelations in dreams and visions, by day and by night, over a
period of seventy years.
Did the validity of the revelation depend upon the hours
of the day or night when it was received? Did the presence
or absence of physical phenomena make any difference?
"
'It is Satan's plan to weaken the faith of God's people in
the
Testimonies.' Satan
knows how to make his attacks. He
works upon minds to excite jealousy and dissatisfaction toward
those at the head of the work. The gifts are next questioned;
then, of course, they have but little weight, and instruction
given through vision is disregarded.' Next follows skepticism
in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our posi-
tion, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the down-
ward march to perdition. When the
Testimonies,
which were
once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the
deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts
till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes in-
curable and ends in destruction.' By giving place to doubts
and unbelief in regard to the work of God, and by cherishing
feelings of distrust and cruel jealousies, they are preparing
themselves for complete deception.'
"—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p.
672.
FURTHER STUDY
Early Writings,
pages 19, 20.
3-AQT 4-74
35
Prophetic Visions and Dreams
LESSON 4
❑
Thursday
October 24
Part 5
REALITY OF THE
PROPHETIC DREAM
THINK IT THROUGH
By what means did God reveal to Ezekiel truths concerning
the restored temple?
"In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Is-
rael." "And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with
thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart
upon all that I shall shew thee." Ezek. 40:2, 4.
"In both dream and vision what carried religious significance
was the fact that the presentation did not come through the
ordinary sense channels, or as a product of the mind's con-
scious activity. On this account it was accepted as a revela-
tion from God. . . . The result is sometimes presented
as if it
had come to the prophet in a manner analogous to sense ex-
perience,—the prophet sees, hears, questions, replies."—
James Hastings,
Dictionary of the Bible,
art. "Vision," Vol. 4,
p. 871. (Emphasis supplied.)
In what form were messages given to Zechariah? Zech. 1:
8-10; 4:1-7. To John the revelator? Rev. 1:10-20. See Rev. 12.
To what point was Ezekiel on one occasion seemingly con-
veyed in vision? Ezek. 8:1-12.
Frequently in Ellen White's experience she seemed to be
taken to some distant place where she saw and heard what was
occurring. While in Moss, Norway, in 1887, she seemed to be
at the Saint Helena Sanitarium in California and witnessed
what took place as the patients settled their accounts.
In
Counsels on Health,
pages 412, 413, she describes a
seeming visit to the Battle Creek Sanitarium where she saw
how the work was done and heard the conversation of the
helpers.
On the night of April 16, 1906, she seemed to be on an
eminence and viewed the great San Francisco earthquake that
occurred two days later. Read her vivid description in
Testi-
monies,
Vol. 9, pp. 92, 93.
Before one challenges the method by which God reveals
the light, it is wise to read the prophetic messages and ask,
Is this light or darkness?
"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and
there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, de-
claring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the
things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure." Isa. 46:9, 10.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 1, pp. 58, 59.
36
'rophetic Visions and Dreams
LESSON 4
❑
Friday
October
25
Part 6
HOW LIGHT CAME
TO ELLEN WHITE
THINK IT THROUGH
Ellen White sometimes saw historical scenes in vision. In
her introduction to the book
The Great Controversy
she makes
allusion to the manner in which the light therein revealed
came to her:
"Through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the scenes of
the long-continued conflict between good and evil have been
opened to the writer of these pages. From time to time I have
been permitted to behold the working, in different ages, of the
great controversy between Christ, the Prince of life, the Author
of our salvation, and Satan, the prince of evil, the author of
sin, the first transgressor of God's holy law."—The
Great Con-
troversy,
Introduction, page x. See also page xi.
As she wrote of her views of the second coming of Christ,
she declared: "Scenes of such thrilling, solemn interest passed
before me as no language is adequate to describe. It was all
a living reality to
me."—Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 76.
In
Testimonies,
Vol. 8, pp. 41, 42, Ellen White describes the
view God gave to her of the final conflict between Christ and
Satan:
"In vision I saw two armies in terrible conflict. One army
was led by banners bearing the world's insignia; the other was
led by the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel. Standard
after standard was left to trail in the dust as company after
company from the Lord's army joined the foe and tribe after
tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the command-
ment-keeping people of God. . . .
"At last the victory was gained. The army following the
banner with the inscription, 'The commandments of God, and
the faith of Jesus,' was gloriously triumphant. The soldiers of
Christ were close beside the gates of the city, and with joy
the city received her King. The kingdom of peace and joy and
everlasting righteousness was established."—Testimonies, Vol.
8, pp. 41, 42. See also
Testimonies,
Vol. 9, pp. 28, 29.
On which side will we stand in the final battle between the
church and the world? Do the visions affect our decision mak-
ing? Our outlook for the present and the future?
"The question is asked, How does Sister White know in
regard to the matters of which she speaks so decidedly, as if
she had authority to say these things? I speak thus because
they flash upon my mind when in perplexity like lightning out
of a dark cloud in the fury of a storm. . . . At such times I
cannot refrain from saying the things that flash into my mind,
not because I have had a new vision, but because that which
was presented to me perhaps years in the past has been re-
called to my mind forcibly."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 37.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 1, pp. 60, 61.
37
LESSON 5
October 27 to November 2
"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day,
and heard behind me a great voice, as
of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and
Omega, the first and the last: and, What
thou seest, write in a book, and send it
unto the seven churches." Rev. 1:10, 11
(first part).
Through the vision the prophet's mind
was enlightened. When not in vision but
still aided by the Spirit of God, he pre-
sented to others orally or in writing what
he saw and heard. This he did in the
best language at his command. On differ-
ent occasions he employed different
words in describing the same vision.
"The Bible is written by inspired men,
but it is not God's mode of thought and
expression. It is that of humanity. God,
as a writer, is not represented. Men will
often say such an expression is not like
God. But God has not put Himself in
words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in
the Bible. The writers of the Bible were
God's penmen, not His pen. Look at the
different writers.
"It is not the words of the Bible that
are inspired, but the men that were in-
spired. Inspiration acts not on the man's
words or his expressions but on the man
himself, who, under the influence of the
Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts.
But the words receive the impress of the
individual mind. The divine mind is dif-
fused. The divine mind and will is com-
bined with the human mind and will;
thus the utterances of the man are the
word of
God."—Selected Messages,
Bk.
1, p. 21.
Ellen White's experience in receiving
and delivering God's messages was par-
allel with the prophets of God in past
ages. Hers was not a singular, bizarre,
or one-time phenomenon setting her
apart as odd and peculiar. She was an-
other prophet through whom God gave
His messages.
The following passage gives an illus-
tration of how God spoke through the
spirit of prophecy in establishing our
doctrines upon the Bible:
"We are to be established in the faith,
in the light of the truth given us in our
early experience. At that time one error
after another pressed in upon us; minis-
ters and doctors brought in new doc-
trines. We would search the Scriptures
with much prayer, and the Holy Spirit
would bring the truth to our minds. Some-
times whole nights would be devoted to
searching the Scriptures, and earnestly
asking God for guidance. Companies of
devoted men and women assembled for
this purpose. The power of God would
come upon me, and I was enabled
clearly to define what is truth and what
is error.
"As the points of our faith were thus
established, our feet were placed upon
a solid foundation. We accepted the
truth point by point, under the demon-
stration of the Holy Spirit. I would be
taken off in vision, and explanations
would be given me. I was given illus-
trations of heavenly things, and of the
sanctuary, so that we were placed where
light was shining on us in clear, distinct
rays."—Gospel
Workers,
page 302.
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
Oral and Written Testimonies,
Jer. 1:17
2.
Literary Assistants, Jer. 36:4, 17, 18
3.
Divine Messages in Human Lan-
guage, Ezek. 40:4
4.
Validity of Prophet's Messages,
1 Cor. 1:11
5.
The Prophet as a Reprover, 2 Sam.
12:1, 7
6.
A Messenger From God, 2 Peter
1:20, 21
;TEEL. ARTIST; © PPPA
The Prophet Delivers God's Message
LESSON 5
❑
Sunday
October 2;
.
Part 1
ORAL AND WRITTEN
TESTIMONIES
THINK IT THROUGH
What command came to the youthful prophet Jeremiah re
garding the message God would impart to him?
"Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speal
unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their
faces, lest I confound thee before them." Jer. 1:17.
See also Ezek. 11:25.
The prophet is charged by God to deliver to the people the
messages which he has received. The prophet must bear a
careful and undiluted testimony of all that God has revealed
to him.
What was one means by which the prophets delivered the
prophetic message to the people? Jer. 26:2, 4 (first part). See
Zech. 1:3; 1 Kings 11:29-40.
Through
the spoken word
the prophet conveyed the mes-
sage of the Lord in a discourse before a company of people
and also in personal testimony by private interviews.
What were prophets at times bidden to do with the mes•
sages they received? Isa. 30:8; Jer. 36:2; Rev. 21:5.
Concerning her experience, Ellen White has written:
"Early in my public labors I was bidden by the Lord,
'Write, write the things that are revealed to you.' "—Ellen G.
White,
Review and Herald,
June 14, 1906.
How was a message often conveyed to an individual or
church? Col. 4:16; 2 Thess. 3:14, 17. Compare 2 Chron. 21:
12-15.
The messages entrusted to Ellen White were written out by
her and often conveyed by letters (often called "testimonies").
Literally thousands of such communications were mailed
from her home through the years. Of this she says:
"In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I
am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me."
—
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 67. See also
Selected Messages,
Bk. 1,
p. 33.
Concerning the work of communicating God's love, she
urged: "Talk it, pray it, sing it, fill the world with the message
of His truth, and keep pressing on into the regions beyond.'
—
Testimonies,
Vol. 9, p. 30.
How would our world work have been affected if Ellen G.
White had not delivered faithfully the Lord's instruction re-
garding medical evangelism and educational work? What
form or shape would the church witness have taken?
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5,
pp.
654-657.
40
The Prophet Delivers God's Message
LESSON 5
❑
Monday
October 28
"Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Bar-
uch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the
Lord, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book."
"And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou
write all these words at his mouth? Then Baruch answered
them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth,
and I wrote them with ink in the book." Jer. 36:4, 17, 18.
See also Rom. 16:22.
Baruch wrote out Jeremiah's message. It is probable that
some of Paul's epistles were dictated. Ellen White's procedure
was to write out her messages in longhand. These handwrit-
ten manuscripts were sometimes given to a secretary to
put into finished form. During her lifetime she wrote about
100,000 pages or 25,000,000 words. A large number of these
manuscripts are on file in the White Estate offices at the Gen-
eral Conference.
Ellen White described her writing in these words: "As the
work grew, others assisted me in the preparation of matter for
publication. After my husband's death, faithful helpers joined
me, who labored untiringly in the work of copying the testi-
monies and preparing articles for publication."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 50.
"D. E. Robinson, for many years a literary assistant [at Elms-
haven], said in 1933:
"'In all good conscience I can testify that never was I pre-
sumptuous enough to venture to add any ideas of my own or
to do other than follow with most scrupulous care the thoughts
of the author.' "—Arthur L. White,
Ellen G. White—Messenger
to the Remnant,
page 60.
"It was ever a source of regret to Mrs. White that her
schooling had been very brief [only three years of formal
education], and her knowledge of the technical rules of writ-
ing was therefore limited. W. C. White [her son] says he
clearly remembers the earlier years of her work in Battle Creek,
when James White, on coming home from the Review and
Herald office, would be asked to listen to what Mrs. White had
written, and to help her in preparing it technically for publica-
tion. Then, as she read to him, he would comment on the mat-
ter, rejoicing in the power of the message, and would point out
weaknesses in composition and faulty grammar."—Arthur L.
White,
Ellen G. White—Messenger to the Remnant,
page 6.
Part 2
LITERARY
ASSISTANTS
THINK IT THROUGH
Contemplate the miracle of transmission of divinely inspired
thoughts and ideas through weak human language. The won-
der is that Ellen White's words even approached the majesty
of the glorious truths of inspiration revealed to her!
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 657-660.
41
The Prophet Delivers God's Message
LESSON 5
❑
Tuesday
October
30
Part 3
DIVINE MESSAGES
IN HUMAN
LANGUAGE
What instructions were given to Ezekiel in connection with
his vision of the temple?
"And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine
eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all
that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew
them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou
seest to the house of Israel." Ezek. 40:4.
"The man" whom Ezekiel saw •in his vision instructed the
prophet to set his heart upon all that God would show him
that he might accurately "declare" to "the house of Israel" all
that he saw. The revelation of truth was the Lord's. The
language of the prophet describing the vision was the language
of man.
Who is the source of the messages of the Bible? 2 Tim.
3:16 (first part).
"The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by
human hands; and in the varied style of its different books it
presents the characteristics of the several writers. The truths
revealed are all 'given by inspiration of God' (2 Tim. 3:16); yet
they are expressed in the words of men. . . .
"The Ten Commandments were spoken by God Himself, and
were written by His own hand. They are of divine, and not of
human composition. But the Bible, with its God-given truths
expressed in the language of men, presents a union of the
divine and the human."—The
Great Controversy,
Introduction,
pages v, vi.
Describing her own experience, Ellen White has written:
"Although I am as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in
writing my views as I am in receiving them, yet the words I
employ in describing what I have seen are my own, unless they
be those spoken to me by an angel, which I always enclose in
marks of quotation."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 37.
How did Ellen White at one time refer to the special aid of
God's Spirit as she wrote of what was shown to her? "While
I am writing out important matter, He is beside me helping me,
. . . and when I am puzzled for a fit word with which to express
my thought, He brings it clearly and distinctly to my mind."—
Ellen G. White, Letter 127, 1902.
At the General Conference session of 1883 an action was
taken which sets forth this concept of inspiration:
"We believe the light given by God to His servants is by
the enlightenment of the mind, thus imparting the thoughts, and
not (except in rare cases) the very words in which the ideas
should be expressed."—Review
and Herald,
Nov. 27, 1883.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 660-663.
42
The Prophet Delivers God's Message
LESSON 5
❑
Wednesday
October
30
Part 4
VALIDITY OF
PROPHET'S
MESSAGES
THINK IT THROUGH
What prompted the apostle Paul to write his first epistle to
the church at Corinth?
"For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren,
by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are con-
tentions among you." 1 Cor. 1:11.
"How was it with the apostle Paul? The news he received
through the household of Chloe concerning the condition of
the church at Corinth was what caused him to write his first
epistle to that church. Private letters had come to him stating
the facts as they existed, and in his answer he laid down gen-
eral principles which if heeded would correct the existing
evils. . . .
"Because the Lord had not given him a new revelation for
that special time, those who were really seeking light did not
cast his message aside as only a common letter. No, indeed.
The Lord had shown him the difficulties and dangers which
would arise in the churches, that when they should develop,
he might know just how to treat them. . . .
"Should he not take notice of the reports concerning their
state of anarchy and division? Most assuredly; and the reproof
he sent them was written just as much under the inspiration
of the Spirit of God as were any of his epistles."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 65, 66.
Was every message from Ellen White the result of a specific
vision? "Some have taken the position that the warnings, cau-
tions, and reproofs given by the Lord through His servant, un-
less they come through special vision for each individual case,
should have no more weight than counsels and warnings from
other sources. . . . If, however, in response to some question,
statement, or appeal from churches or individuals, a testimony
is written presenting the light which God has given concern-
ing them, the fact that it has been called forth in this manner
in nowise detracts from its validity or importance."—Testimo-
nies, Vol. 5, pp. 683, 684.
Have you ever wondered how the light found in the book
"Education" came to Mrs. White? Also, "Steps to Christ,"
"Counsels on Sabbath School Work," et cetera? Was it all by
direct vision in each case?
"I have no special wisdom in myself; I am only an instru-
ment in the Lord's hands to do the work He has set for me to
do. The instructions that I have given by pen or voice have
been an expression of the light that God has given me."—
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 691.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 663-665.
43
The Prophet Delivers God's Message
LESSON 5
❑
Thursday
October 31
Part 5
In what way was God's message of rebuke delivered to
THE PROPHET
King David?
AS A REPROVER
"And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto
him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the
one rich, and the other poor." "And Nathan said to David,
Thou art the man." 2 Sam. 12:1, 7.
God through Nathan rebuked David for his adulterous and
murderous course in the case of Bathsheba and Uriah. 2 Sam.
12:1-7. John the Baptist rebuked Herod for taking Herodias,
his brother Philip's wife. Matt. 14:3-12. A man of God also
rebuked Jeroboam, king of Israel, for his idolatrous practices.
1 Kings 13:1-6. These testimonies of the prophets recorded in
the Scriptures "are written for our admonition, upon whom the
ends of the world are come." 1 Cor. 10:11.
Similarly, personal testimonies were written by Ellen G.
White. These have been included in the nine volumes of the
Testimonies.
Ellen White explained that "since the warning
and instruction given in testimony for individual cases applied
with equal force to many others who had not been specially
pointed out in this manner, it seemed to be my duty to publish
the personal testimonies for the benefit of the church. . . .
"'In rebuking the wrongs of one, He designs to correct
many.'
"—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 658, 659.
What rebuke did Peter administer to a deceived believer?
Acts 8:18-24.
THINK IT THROUGH
Paul said before King Agrippa "I was not disobedient unto
the heavenly vision." Acts 26:19. Shall we not—all of us—
inquire individually, Am I obedient to the instruction God
gives to me through the visions of His servant?
"I was . . . directed to bring out general principles, in
speaking and in writing, and at the same time specify the dan-
gers, errors, and sins of some individuals, that all might be
warned, reproved, and counseled. I saw that all should search
their own hearts and lives closely to see if they had not made
the same mistakes for which others were corrected and if
the warnings given for others did not apply to their own cases.
If so, they should feel that the counsel and reproofs were
given especially for them and should make as practical an
application of them as though they were especially addressed
to themselves."—Testimonies, Vol. 2, p. 687.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 666-668.
44
Testing the Claims
of the Prophet
LESSON 6
November
3-9
"Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast
that which is good." 1 Thess. 5:20, 21.
"Christ warned His disciples: 'Beware of false prophets, which come to you
in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them
by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every
good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.'
. . . Here is a test, and all can apply it if they will. Those who really desire to
know the truth will find sufficient evidence for belief."—Testimonies, Vol. 5, pp.
671, 672. See also
The Acts of the Apostles,
page 263.
In addition to the specifically designated Bible tests, there are certain marks
of divine guidance which prove helpful in examining the claims of anyone who
says he speaks for God. These tests must be applied to Ellen White as well as
any other person.
The message of the true prophet will be (a) distinct for its high quality in
thought and utterance, (b) geared to the practical needs of the people, (c) ap-
plicable to current situations, (d) on a high spiritual plane, not childish or mixing
sublime and ridiculous things, and (e) not tempered to cater •to the favor of men.
The testimony of the prophet will be motivated not by impressions or feelings
or impulses but by definite revelations from God. We see the physical phe-
nomena connected with the visions of Ellen White as one evidence among
other evidences.
We now turn to the basic Bible tests, and we shall examine Ellen White's
work in the light of these tests. Remember, we do not test the Bible by Ellen G.
White's writing, but we test the writings of Ellen G. White
by the Bible!
LESSON
OUTLINE
1.
The Prophet and God, Deut. 13:1-3
2.
Forecast and Fulfillment, Deut. 18:22
3.
The Humanity of Christ, 1 John 4:1, 2
4.
"By Their Fruits," Matt. 7:15-20
5.
Testing Ellen G. White
6.
Beware of False Prophets, 1 John 4:1
Testing the Claims of the Prophet
LESSON 6
❑
Sunda
November
Part 1
What is one means by which a false prophet can be de
THE PROPHET
tected?
AND GOD
"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer
dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign o
the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, say
ing, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not knowr
and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the word
of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams." Deut. 13:1-3.
Did Ellen White's work call people to God or away fror
God? Her oral and written messages exalted God, His com
mandments, and His Word, the Bible.
"The law of God is the one unerring rule by which a
opinions, doctrines, and theories are to be tested. Says the
prophet: 'If they speak not according to this word, it is becaus
,
there is no light in them.'
"—The Great Controversy,
page 452
See also
The Great Controversy,
pages 461-491.
On the last page of her first book,
Christian Experience an(
Views,
published in 1851, she wrote: "I recommend to you
dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith an(
practice."—Early
Writings,
page 78. See also
The Great Con
troversy,
pages 593-602.
"Even the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart is to bo
tested by the Word of God. The Spirit which inspired tho
Scriptures, always leads to the Scriptures."—Selected
Mes
sages,
Bk. 1, p. 43.
By what standard or test do some oppose the truth? 1 Tim
6:20.
"When a man feels so very wise that
he
dares to dissec
God's Word, his wisdom is, with God, counted foolishness
When he knows more, he will feel that he has everything to
learn. And his very first lesson is to become teachable."—
Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 42.
What blessing is promised to the meek of the earth? Ps
25:9.
"Those who have most to say against the testimonies are
generally those who have not read them, just as those who
boast of their disbelief of the Bible are those who have litho
knowledge of its teachings. They know that it condemns them
and their rejection of it gives them a feeling of security in thei
sinful
course."—Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, pp. 45, 46.
THINK IT THROUGH
Read Matthew 5:3-5. In what way do the first three Beati
tudes relate to the question of receiving divine guidance?
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 671-674.
48
resting the Claims of the Prophet
LESSON 6
❑
Monday
November 4
Part 2
FORECAST AND
FULFILLMENT
What is another test of a prophet's work?
"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the
thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which
the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it pre-
sumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." Deut. 18:22.
The proof of a prophet's credentials lies, in part, in the ful-
fillment of his predictions. See 1 Sam. 9:6; Lam. 3:37.
Although Ellen White's work was not basically that of a
forecaster of future events, yet in some instances she pre-
dicted conditions and events whose fulfillments give evidence
of her prophetic gift. For example, in 1904 she wrote: "The
time is fast coming when the controlling power of the labor
unions will be very oppressive."—Country
Living,
page 9. In
1906 she wrote thus of calamities: "I am bidden to declare
the message that cities full of transgression, and sinful in the
extreme, will be destroyed by earthquakes, by fire, by flood."
—
Evangelism,
page 27.
In other instances the predictive nature of her statements is
not so evident, but she stated insights into the society of her
day that have become increasingly descriptive of present-day
society: (1)
Decadence—Testimonies,
Vol. 9, p. 13; (2) Anarchy
—
Education,
page 228; (3) Urban
problems—Testimonies,
Vol.
7, p. 82; (4) Youth dissipation—Temperance, page 274.
In applying the test of fulfilled predictions, what must be
taken into consideration? Jer. 18:9, 10.
The fulfillment of certain prophecies may be dependent on
the attitude of individuals or nations concerned, whether this
condition is stated in the prophecies or not. Certain condi-
tions arose, for example, in leading the children of Israel
promptly into the Promised Land which led the Lord to alter
His purpose.
Ellen White wrote thus to Seventh-day Adventists concern-
ing the conditional nature of God's promises: "The angels of
God in their messages to men represent time as very short.
Thus it has always been presented to me. It is true that time
has continued longer than we expected in the early days of
this message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we
hoped. But has the word of the Lord failed? Never! It should
be remembered that
the promises and threatenings of God are
alike conditional."—Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 67. (Empha-
sis supplied.)
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 675-678.
49
Testing the Claims of the Prophet
LESSON 6
❑
Tuesda3
November
Part 3
THE HUMANITY
OF CHRIST
THINK IT THROUGH
FURTHER STUDY
50
What does John state as another mark of a true prophet'
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirit
whether they are of God: because many false prophets an
gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God
Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh is of God." 1 John 4:1, 2.
The Bible writings come to focus in the incarnate Christ
Ellen White's central theme in her writings was also the God-
Man Jesus Christ, whom she proclaims as indwelling Saviour
and supreme Lord.
In her book
The Desire of Ages
we see evidences of the
honor in which she held the Lord Jesus Christ. In another
book she wrote, "The crucified Messiah is the central point of
all Christianity."—Counsels
to Teachers,
pages 23, 24.
In the following forceful paragraph Ellen White writes of the
incarnate Christ:
"In contemplating the incarnation of Christ in humanity, we
stand baffled before an unfathomable mystery, that the human
mind cannot comprehend. The more we reflect upon it, the
more amazing does it appear. How wide is the contrast be-
tween the divinity of Christ and the helpless infant in Bethle-
hem's manger! How can we span the distance between the
mighty God and a helpless child? And yet the Creator of
worlds, He in whom was the fullness of the Godhead bodily,
was manifest in the helpless babe in the manger. Far higher
than any of the angels, equal with the Father in dignity and
glory, and yet wearing the garb of humanity! Divinity and hu-
manity were mysteriously combined, and man and God be-
came one. It is in this union that we find the hope of our
fallen race. Looking upon Christ in humanity, we look upon
God, and see in Him the brightness of His glory, the express
image of His person."—Ellen G. White Comments,
SDA Bible
Commentary,
Vol. 5, p. 1130.
When one reads "The Desire of Ages" and "Steps to
Christ," with whom does he converse? Is the level of com-
munication between Ellen White and the reader or Jesus Christ
and the reader?
"Jesus Christ is everything to us,—the first, the last, the
best in everything. Jesus Christ, His Spirit, His character,
colors everything; it is the warp and woof, the very texture of
our entire being. . . . Christ is a living Saviour. Continuing
to look unto Jesus, we reflect His image to all around us."—
Messages to Young People,
page 161.
Testimonies,
Vol. 5,
pp.
679-682.
Testing the Claims of the Prophet
LESSON 6
❑
Wednesday
November 6
Part 4
What reasonable test should be applied to anyone profess-
"BY THEIR FRUITS"
ing to exercise the prophetic gift?
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall
know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns,
or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth
good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. . . .
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down,
and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know
them." Matt. 7:15-20.
The fruit of a prophet's work is to be found (1) in his own
personal life and experience, (2) in the lives of those who give
heed to his messages and are influenced by them, and (3) in
the character of the work and institutions which he' attempts to
establish.
Some of the fruit of Ellen White's life has been to open up
the Scriptures to the understanding of those who read her
books, to attract the reader to Jesus, and to advance the work
of God in the world by counsel that resulted in the establish-
ment of: (1) church organization; (2) educational work in all
levels; (3) medical institutions; (4) publishing houses; and (5)
worldwide extension of church work.
F. M. Wilcox, a past editor of the
Review and Herald
and
an associate of Ellen White, said in a sermon at a General
Conference session, June 7, 1946: "Her life and Christian ex-
perience conformed to the pure, simple, dignified principles of
the gospel of Christ. She exemplified in her own life, as does
every true prophet, the principles of truth she taught to others.
. . .
"The work of Mrs. White should not be judged by some
detail, by the turn of a phrase or sentence, or by some seem-
ing contradiction in her writings. It should be judged by the
spirit which has characterized her work through the years, by
the fruit it has borne in connection with the great religious
movement with which it was associated, and in the develop-
ment of which it bore a prominent part and exerted a molding
influence."
THINK IT THROUGH
In what specific ways have the spirit of prophecy writings
influenced or affected the life of the Adventist people? My
own personal life? Has this influence spilled over into the
world about me? In what ways?
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 683-685.
51
Testing the Claims of the Prophet
LESSON 6
❑
Thursday
November 7
Part 5
TESTING
ELLEN G. WHITE
THINK IT THROUGH
FURTHER STUDY
52
What invitation did Ellen White give to investigators who
sought to examine the fruitage of her prophetic visions?
"Let the
Testimonies
be judged by their fruits. What is the
spirit of their teaching? What has been the result of their influ-
ence? 'All who desire to do so can acquaint themselves with
the fruits of these visions.' . . .
"'God is either teaching His church, reproving their wrongs
and strengthening their faith, or He is not. This work is of
God, or it is not. God does nothing in partnership with Satan.
My work . . . bears the stamp of God or the stamp of the
enemy. There is no halfway work in the matter. The
Testi-
monies
are of the Spirit of God, or of the devil.'
"—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 671.
Back in 1889, when Ellen White learned that certain men at
the Battle Creek College were criticizing the Bible, she wrote:
"When men venture to criticize the Word of God, they ven-
ture on sacred, holy ground, and had better fear and tremble
and hide their wisdom as foolishness. God sets no man to
pronounce judgment on His Word, selecting some things as
inspired
and
discrediting others as uninspired. The testimonies
have been treated in the same way; but God is not in this."—
Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 23.
Ellen White wrote of her experience as God's messenger
thus:
"As the Lord has manifested Himself through the spirit of
prophecy, 'past, present, and future have passed before me. I
have been shown faces that I had never seen, and years after-
ward I knew them when I saw them. I have been aroused
from my sleep with a vivid sense of subjects previously pre-
sented to my mind; and I have written, at midnight, letters that
have gone across the continent and, arriving at a crisis, have
saved great disaster to the cause of God. This has been my
work for many years. A power has impelled me to reprove
and rebuke wrongs that I had not thought of. Is this work of
the last thirty-six years from above or from beneath?'
"—Tes-
timonies,
Vol. 5, p. 671.
What is your testimony concerning the spirit of prophecy?
"Christ warned His disciples: . . . 'A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit.' . . . Here is a test, and all can apply it if they will.
Those who really desire to know the truth will find sufficient
evidence for
belief."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 671, 672.
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 687-689.
Testing the Claims of the Prophet
LESSON 6
❑
Friday
November 8
Part 6
What warning does John sound to guard the church from
BEWARE OF FALSE
deception?
PROPHETS
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false prophets are
gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1.
See also Matt. 7:15.
Four times in Matthew 24 Jesus pinpointed
deception
as a
principal sign of His second advent. "And many false prophets
shall rise, and shall deceive many." Matt. 24:11.
Ellen White in 1905 reiterated this warning through the
pages of our church paper: "There will be those who will claim
to have visions. When God gives you clear evidence that the
vision is from Him, you may accept it, but do not accept it on
any other evidence; for people are going to be led more and
more astray."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 2, p. 72.
How are we to test 'those who claim divine enlightenment?
"There will be false dreams and false visions, which have
some truth, but lead away from the original faith. The Lord has
given men a rule by which to detect them: 'To the law and to
the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is
because there is no light in them' (Isa. 8:20). If they belittle
the law of God, if they pay no heed to His will as revealed in
the testimonies of His Spirit, they are deceivers. They are
controlled by impulse and impressions, which they believe to
be from the Holy Spirit, and consider more reliable than the
Inspired Word. They claim that every thought and feeling is an
impression of the Spirit; and when they are reasoned with out
of the Scriptures, they declare that they have something more
reliable. But while they think that they are led by the Spirit of
God, they are in reality following an imagination wrought upon
by
Satan."—Selected Messages,
Bk. 2, pp. 98, 99.
See also
Revival and Beyond
by Ellen G. White, and
Se-
lected Messages,
Bk. 2,
pp.
61-118.
Ellen White wrote: "The track of truth lies close beside the
track of error, and both tracks may seem to be one to minds
which are not worked by the Holy Spirit, and which, therefore,
are not quick to discern the difference between truth and er-
ror."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 202.
What does Paul admonish Christians to do? 1 Thess. 5:
20, 21.
THINK IT THROUGH
FURTHER STUDY
Have I ever had occasion to use the "yardsticks" suggested
in this lesson? Have I personally applied them to the life
and teachings of Ellen White?
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 690, 691.
53
h frac
Ses
"My Instructor said to me, Tell these men that God
has not committed to them the work of measuring,
classifying, and defining the character of the testimo-
nies. Those who attempt this are sure to err in their
conclusions. The Lord would have men adhere to their
appointed work. If they will keep the way of the Lord,
they will be able to discern clearly that the work which
He has appointed me to do is not a work of human
devising.
"Those who carefully read the testimonies as they
have appeared from the early days, need not be per-
plexed as to their origin. The many books, written by
the help of the Spirit of God, bear a living witness to
the character of the testimonies."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, pages 49, 50.
LESSON 7
November 10-16
"As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak." 2 Chron.
18:13.
In Bible times there were those who denied the divine source of the prophetic
messages, declaring that in the testimony the prophet bore he was influenced
by certain individuals or circumstances.
If the prophet's messages were only an expression of his own opinion or the
opinion of one close to him, then his claim to prophethood would be false. At
some point the criteria for a prophet would be applied to his work, and he
would be found wanting.
In the early years of Ellen White's ministry a few attributed her visions to
hypnotism. See
Early Writings,
pages 21-23. At times in later years it was sug-
gested that she was influenced by strong church leaders about her—her hus-
band, for example, and other administrators, physicians, or educators. When
one man suggested to her that her testimony revealed that she had been mis-
informed by certain brethren, she wrote with great candor: "You think individ-
uals have prejudiced my mind. If I am in this state, I am not fitted to be en-
trusted with the work of
God."—Selected Messages,
Bk. 2, p. 63.
Was Ellen White "fitted to be entrusted with the work of God"? Each student
will have to answer that question for himself. But an accurate response will
result only from careful, prayerful study. Is not this matter of such importance
that prejudice and preconceived ideas must be laid aside? Here we examine
the integrity of the prophetic message.
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
Dependability of the Prophetic Word, 2 Peter 1:19
2.
A "Thus Saith the Lord," Hosea 1:1
3.
Micaiah, the Invulnerable Prophet, 2 Chron. 18:1-8
4.
Accusations, Jer. 43:2
5.
God's Power Over Balaam, Num. 22:1-7; 23:5-11
6.
Integrity of the Spirit of Prophecy Writings
Integrity of the Prophetic Message
LESSON 7
❑
Sunday
November 10
What is Peter's evaluation of the prophetic message?
"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto
ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a
dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your
hearts." 2 Peter 1:19.
"Prophets . . are men who are sure, because they are
Spirit-taught; and they speak therefore with the note of abso-
lute authority."—G. Campbell Morgan,
The Ministry of the
Word,
page 84.
On the mount of transfiguration Peter saw a great light and
heard a voice from heaven. Peter refers to this experience in
2 Peter 1:16-18. But he says that prophecy is surer than what
he saw and heard on the mountain with Jesus.
There are also sensory miracles wrought by Satan. When
tested by the sure word of prophecy, these may be identified
as deception. Thus the sure word of prophecy becomes a test-
ing instrument. This is true in many instances.
Ellen White wrote about one principal deception, spiritual-
ism: "A correct understanding of 'what saith the Scriptures' in
regard to the state of the dead is essential for this time.
God's Word declares that the dead know not anything, their
hatred and love have alike perished. We must come to the
sure word of prophecy for our authority. . . . Unless we are
rooted and grounded in the truth, we shall be swept away by
Satan's delusive snares. We must cling to our Bibles. If Satan
can make you believe that there are things in the Word of God
that are not inspired, he will then be prepared to ensnare
your soul. We shall have no assurance, no certainty, at the
very time we need to know what is
truth."—Evangelism,
page
249.
Part 1
DEPENDABILITY
OF THE
PROPHETIC WORD
THINK IT THROUGH
Sight, sound, touch, taste? Or the "sure word of proph-
ecy"? What would you do if confronted personally, visibly,
by a person who appeared to be a departed relative?
"He [Satan] is, through his power and lying wonders, tear-
ing away the foundation of the Christian's hope and putting out
the sun that is to light them in the narrow way to heaven. He
is making the world believe that the Bible is uninspired, no
better than a storybook, while he holds out something to take
its place; namely,
spiritual manifestations!"—Early Writings,
page 91.
"The people of God must be prepared to withstand these
spirits [impersonating the dead] with the Bible truth that the
dead know not anything, and that they who thus appear are the
spirits of devils."—Early
Writings,
page 262.
FURTHER STUDY
The Acts of the Apostles,
pages 534-536.
56
Integrity of the Prophetic Message
LESSON 7
0
Monday
November 11
What did the prophets often designate to be the source of
the messages they bore?
"The word of the Lord that came unto
.
Hosea, the son of
Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah,
kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash,
king of Israel." Hosea 1:1.
See also Hag. 1:3, 7, 13.
The Bible prophets have declared that the word they gave
the people came from God. They often introduced the divine
communication through them by a phrase such as "the word of
the Lord came unto me, saying." Some of the variants of this
expression are listed below:
"Thus saith the Lord." 2 Sam. 7:8.
"As God hath said." 2 Cor. 6:16.
"And God spake." Gen. 8:15.
"The Holy Ghost saith." Heb. 3:7.
"I the Lord have said." Ezek. 21:17.
"The Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake." Acts 1:16.
What is the Word of the Lord said to be? Ps. 119:105.
It is Christ Himself who speaks in the Word, and He is
represented in the Scriptures as "the Light." John the Baptist
"was sent to bear witness of that Light." John 1:7, 8. Jesus
said, "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may
be the children of light." John 12:36.
The Bible is also a light. When light from Christ reaches
the world through the prism of His Word, we see the colors of
the rainbow and light and beauty appear. The prophets take
the light of God and break it up into its rainbow parts—proph-
ecy, proverbs of wisdom, doctrine, admonition, counsel, re-
buke, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness. But in
all of these the Light Himself, Jesus Christ, is revealed. See
John 1:4, 5, 9. "This is the word of the Lord," the prophets
proclaim.
"Thus saith the Lord—" Does the expression sound pontifi-
cal? Why does He speak to us at all—to us who are sinners?
"We can trace the line of the world's great teachers as far
back as human records extend; but the Light was before them.
As the moon and the stars of the solar system shine by the
reflected light of the sun, so, as far as their teaching is true,
do the world's great thinkers reflect the rays of the Sun of
Righteousness. Every gem of thought, every flash of the in-
tellect, is from the Light of the world. . . . 'He that followeth
Me,' said Jesus, 'shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life.'
"—The Desire of Ages,
pages 464, 465.
FURTHER STUDY
Steps to Christ,
"A Knowledge of God," pages 87-90.
57
Part 2
A "THUS SAITH
THE LORD"
THINK IT THROUGH
Integrity of the Prophetic Message
LESSON 7
❑
Tuesday
November 12
What circumstances led King Ahab of Israel to inquire of
the prophet Micaiah concerning a proposed military expedi-
tion? 2 Chron. 18:1-8.
"The prophet of the Lord did not prophesy good concerning
Ahab because there was nothing good to prophesy. He de-
livered messages to Ahab as they were given to him by God.
Ahab hated Micaiah because he hated the truth and despised
the Lord. Truth is truth, whether it is appreciated or not. What
the prophet of the Lord said, would come to pass, whether
Ahab desired it or not."—SDA
Bible Commentary,
on 2 Chron.
18:7.
How did Ahab's officer attempt to influence Micaiah in his
message to the king? 2 Chron. 18:12.
What did Micaiah resolve to do regardless of circum-
stances? 2 Chron. 18:13, 16, 27.
Micaiah, the true prophet of the Lord, who could not be in-
fluenced, was sent to prison. King Ahab, in spite of the fore-
cast of disaster, went into battle and was slain. 2 Chron. 18:
33, 34. Jehoshaphat barely escaped with his life. 2 Chron.
18:31; 19:1.
Suppose that the prophets of God would succumb to
bribes, to threats, to flattery—what would happen to the word
of the Lord which they were commissioned to deliver? And if
the word of the Lord could be polluted with men's notions and
theories, how could the church come to know God's will?
The prophet Micaiah was typical of all the true prophets.
He was courageous and unyielding in the conduct of the Lord's
business, refusing to deliver a message of "peace and safety"
when the Lord warned of war and calamity. See 1 Thess. 5:3.
Ahab heaped to himself the false prophets (teachers). He
had "itching ears" and wanted to hear only that which was
pleasant, but his obstinate self-will proved disastrous.
Part 3
MICAIAH, THE INVUL-
NERABLE PROPHET
THINK IT THROUGH
Has God preserved the purity of the Bible writings? What
of Mrs. White's messages to the church today?
"Many, very many, are questioning the verity and truth of
the Scriptures. Human reasoning and the imaginings of the
human heart are undermining the inspiration of the Word of
God, and that which should be received as granted, is sur-
rounded with a cloud of mysticism. Nothing stands out in clear
and distinct lines, upon rock bottom. This is one of the
marked signs of the last
days."—Selected Messages,
Bk. 1,
p.
15.
FURTHER STUDY
Prophets and Kings,
pages 195, 196.
58
Integrity of the Prophetic Message
LESSON 7
❑
Wednesday
November 13
Part 4
ACCUSATIONS
THINK IT THROUGH
As Jeremiah delivered an important prophetic message to
the leaders of Judah, of what did they accuse him?
"Then spoke Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan
the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jere-
miah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent
thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there." Jer. 43:2.
Who was said to have originated the counsel Jeremiah de-
clared to be from the Lord? Jer. 43:3.
In an endeavor to dismiss God's clear instruction which did
not appeal to them as reasonable or safe counsel, the charge
was now made by the princes that Jeremiah's message had
actually originated with his literary assistant, Baruch, and not
with the Lord.
As Jehoiakim of old burned the recorded words of the
prophet Jeremiah in the "fire on the hearth," so in defiance
of the message some have at times destroyed the testimonies
of Ellen White. Of this she wrote: "The spirit of opposition to
reproof, that led to the persecution and imprisonment of Jere-
miah, exists today. Many refuse to heed repeated warnings,
preferring rather to listen to false teachers who flatter their
vanity and overlook their evil-doing."—Prophets
and Kings,
page 437.
Who have been credited with writing certain Ellen White
messages? At times it was suggested that Mrs. White's literary
assistants, rather than the Lord, were responsible for certain
messages of counsel that were sent out.
" 'There are those who say, "Someone manipulates her
writings." I acknowledge the charge. It is One who is mighty
in counsel, One who presents before me the condition of
things.' "—Ellen G. White, Letter 52, 1906.
The inspired counsels were not altered as they passed from
the handwritten drafts to the printed page. Mrs. White had
no "ghost" writers.
If you were a prophet of God with a "thus saith the Lord"
for the people, how could you (and why would you) settle for
a substitute message of purely human origin? Could you
live with yourself while practicing such deception? And how
long would you expect to retain God's favor under such cir-
cumstances?
"If God's people will not study these messages that are sent
to them from time to time, they are guilty of rejecting light. . . .
"Heed the instruction; follow the light. The Lord 'has a con-
troversy with His people because in the past they have not
heeded His instruction and followed His guidance."—Ellen G.
White, Letter 292, 1907.
FURTHER STUDY
Prophets and Kings,
pages 432-439.
59
Integrity of the Prophetic Message
LESSON 7
❑
Thursday
November 14
Part 5
GOD'S POWER
OVER BALAAM
THINK IT THROUGH
FURTHER STUDY
60
What did Balak request Balaam to do, and with what re-
sults? Num. 22:1-7; 23:5-11.
"Balaam was once a good man and a prophet of God; but
he had apostatized, and had given himself up to covetousness;
yet he still professed to be a servant of the Most High. He was
not ignorant of God's work in behalf of Israel; and when the
messengers announced their errand, he well knew that it was
his duty to refuse the rewards of Balak and to dismiss the am-
bassadors. . . . But his pride was flattered by the words of his
ambassadors, 'He whom thou blessest is blessed, and he
whom thou cursest is cursed.' The bribe of costly gifts and
prospective exaltation excited his covetousness. He greedily
accepted the offered treasures, and then, while professing
strict obedience to the will of God, he tried to comply with the
desires of
Balak."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 439.
What did Balaam state about the source of his message?
Num. 22:38.
On what was this explanation based? Verse 20.
"As he [Balaam] professed to be God's prophet, . . . all he
should say would be supposed to be uttered by divine author-
ity. Hence he was not to be permitted to speak as he chose,
but must deliver the message which God should give him. 'The
word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do,' was the
divine
command."—Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 441.
When the king remonstrated with Balaam for not cursing
Israel, what was Balaam's answer? Num. 23:12, 25, 26; 24:
10-13.
"The ingenuity of men has been exercised for ages to mea-
sure the Word of God by their finite minds and limited compre-
hension. If the Lord, the Author of the living oracles, would
throw back the curtain and reveal His wisdom and His glory
before them, they would shrink into nothingness and exclaim
as did Isaiah, 'I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the
midst of a people of unclean lips' (Isa.
6:5)."—Selected Mes-
sages,
Bk. 1, p. 18.
•
The God of truth is in control of the processes of revelation.
He will not permit any perverse man to frustrate His Word or
any sincere purposeful man to be deceived. See John 7:17.
Patriarchs and Prophets,
pages 439-441.
Integrity of the Prophetic Message
LESSON 7
❑
Friday
November 15
Part 6
To whom did Ellen White give credit for the messages found
INTEGRITY OF THE
in her books?
SPIRIT OF PROPHECY
"Sister White is not the originator of these books. They con-
WRITINGS
tain the instruction that during her lifework God has been giv-
ing her. They contain the precious, comforting light that God
has graciously given His servant to be given to the world."—
Colporteur Ministry,
page 125.
Specifically, how did God speak through His servant?
Articles in church papers:
"I do not write one article in the
paper expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God
has opened before me in vision—the precious rays of light
shining from the
throne."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 67.
The letter testimonies: "You
might say that this communica-
tion was only a letter. Yes, it was a letter, but prompted by
the Spirit of God,' to bring before your minds things that had
been shown me. In these letters which I write, in the testi-
monies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has
presented to
me."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 67.
Interviews: This
morning I attended a meeting where a
select few were called together to consider some questions that
were presented to them by a letter soliciting consideration and
advice on these subjects. Of some of these subjects I could
speak, because at sundry times and in divers places many
things have been presented to me."—The
Southern Work,
page 72.
Ellen White at one time answered the charge that she had
been influenced in the content of her writing. She wrote:
"Some are ready to inquire: Who told Sister White these
things? They have even put the question to me: Did anyone
tell you these things? I could answer them: Yes; yes, the
angel of God has spoken to
me."—Testimonies,
Vol. 3, p. 314.
While discussing the editorial policy of the
Signs of the
Times,
a church paper, Ellen White prefaced her counsels by
saying, "Permit me to express my mind, and yet not my mind,
but the word of the Lord."—Counsels
to Writers and Editors,
page 112.
THINK IT THROUGH
What are the reasons that you would give for defending
the integrity of Ellen White's writings?
"What reserve power has the Lord with which to reach
those who have cast aside His warnings and reproofs, and
have accredited the testimonies of the Spirit of God to no
higher source than human wisdom? In the judgment what can
you who have done this offer to God as an excuse."—Testi-
monies to Ministers,
pages 465, 466.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 62-66.
61
LESSON 8
November 17-23
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received
the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether
those things were so." Acts 17:11.
"The Bible contains all the principles that men need •to understand in order
to be fitted either for this life or for the life to come. And these principles may
be understood by all.
. Many of its treasures lie far beneath the surface, and
can be obtained only by diligent research and continuous effort. . . .
"When thus searched out and brought together, they will be found to be
perfectly fitted to one another. Each Gospel is a supplement to the others, every
prophecy an explanation of another, every truth a development of some other
truth. The types of the Jewish economy are made plain by the gospel. Every
principle in the word of God has its place, every fact its bearing. And the com-
plete structure, in design and execution, bears testimony to its Author. Such a
structure no mind but that of the Infinite could conceive or faShion. . . .
"In its wide range of style and subjects the Bible has something to interest
every mind and appeal to every heart. In its pages are found history the most.
ancient; biography the truest to life; principles of government for the control
of the state, for the regulation of the household—principles that human wisdom
has never equaled. It contains philosophy the most profound, poetry the sweetest
and the most sublime, the most impassioned and the most pathetic. Immeasur-
ably superior in value to the productions of any human author are the Bible
writings....
"The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the
whole book clusters, is the redemption plan, the restoration in the human soul
of the image of God. From the first intimation of hope in the sentence pro-
nounced in Eden to that last glorious promise of the Revelation, 'They shall see
His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads' (Revelation 22:4), the burden
of every book and every passage of the Bible is the unfolding of this wondrous
theme,—man's uplifting,—the power of God, 'which 'giveth us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ.' 1 Corinthians
15:57."—Education,
pages 123-126.
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
Inspiration of the Writers, 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
2.
Spirit-moved Men, 2 Peter 1:21
3.
Imperfection of Human Speech, Ezek. 40:4
4.
Holiness, a Prerequisite, Luke 1:70; 2 Peter 3:2
5.
Authority of the Scriptures, John 5:39
6.
How to Study the Bible, Acts 17:11
The Primacy of the Bible
LESSON 8
❑
Sunday
November 17
Part 1
INSPIRATION OF
THE WRITERS
THINK IT THROUGH
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profit-
able for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly
furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:16, 17.
"'Inspiration' is found twice in the KJV: (1) Job 32:8, where
'inspiration' is literally 'breath,' and (2) 2 Ti 3:16, where the
phrase, 'all scripture is given by inspiration of God,' is literally,
'all Scripture is God-breathed.'
"—SDA Bible Dictionary,
page
504.
Inspiration in the prophetic sense represents the Holy
Spirit's action upon a human agent's mind, enabling that in-
dividual (1) to receive divine instruction either through visions
or by direct impressions and (2) to communicate the heavenly
messages in writing or in speech.
What chain of heavenly communication is described by
John? Rev. 1:1-3, 10, 11.
For what reason did the apostle Paul give thanks to God?
1 Thess. 2:13.
The supernatural influence exerted on the writers of Scrip-
ture by the Holy Spirit gave to their writings a certain trust-
worthiness that could not be found in the works of ordinary
authors. One evidence of its divine origin is the change pro-
duced in the lives of the students of Scripture.
What prayer did Jesus pray on behalf of His disciples? John
17:17.
The Bible's power to sanctify men—to set them apart as
holy men for God's service—is linked by a mysterious "power
line" to its supreme inspiration! How else could its vitality be
explained!
Can the Bible's power to change a person's life be limited to
the first exposure? What is the role of Scripture in continued
spiritual growth?
"The truth is constantly unfolding and presenting new fea-
tures to different minds. All who dig in the mines of truth, will
constantly discover rich and precious gems. We are anxious
that all who claim to believe the truth now open before us, and
especially those who take the responsibility of teaching the
truth to others, should have a clearer conception themselves of
the all-important significance of the themes of the Bible."—
Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 404.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 8, pp. 299-301.
64
The Primacy of the Bible
LESSON 8
❑
Monday
November 18
Part 2
What word did Peter use to describe the workings of divine
SPIRIT•MOVED MEN
inspiration?
"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:
but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21.
"The Spirit of God 'moved' the prophets. This is a word of
wonderful significance. Literally, it means to be 'borne along,'
'carried along,' impelled' or 'driven.' Weymouth uses 'im-
pelled,' and in Acts 27:15, 17 we read of the ship in which
the apostle Paul sailed as being 'driven' by the storm. This is
the same word."—W. E. Read,
The Bible, the Spirit of Proph-
ecy, and the Church,
page 17.
What was the Spirit's function in John's vision? Rev. 1:10.
John says that he "was in the Spirit," that is, the prophet
received the Spirit of God and was under His influence when
the visions of Revelation were given to him. See
The Sanctified
Life,
page 75.
The possession of the spirit of prophecy by a prophet was
dependent upon God's gift and the prophet's reception of the
communication by the Spirit of God. John was "in the Spirit
on the Lord's day." Rev. 1:10. Ellen White wrote, "I am as
dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as
I am in receiving them."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 37.
THINK IT THROUGH
Are poets, preachers, teachers, and musicians inspired in
the same sense as a prophet?
"From the earliest times, prophets had been recognized as
teachers divinely appointed. In the highest sense the prophet
was one who spoke by direct inspiration, communicating to the
people the messages he had received from God. But the
name was given also to those who, though not so directly in-
spired, were divinely called to instruct the people in the works
and ways of God. For the training of such a class of teachers,
Samuel, by the Lord's direction, established the schools of
the prophets."—Education, page 46.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 4, pp. 9-12.
65
The Primacy of the Bible
LESSON 8
❑
Tuesday
November 19
Part 3
IMPERFECTION OF
HUMAN SPEECH
THINK IT THROUGH
Did God communicate to Ezekiel the exact words of His
message?
"And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine
eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all
that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them
unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest
to the house of Israel." Ezek. 40:4.
See also Ezek. 11:24, 25.
"It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the
men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man's
words or his expressions but on the man himself, who, under
the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But
the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The
divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined
with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man
are the word of
God."—Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 21.
Was the book of Revelation dictated word for word to the
apostle John? Rev. 1:11.
John's vision of Revelation might have been written in
language different from the original phraseology and still have
conveyed to the reader the inspired ideas. The prophet must
communicate God's message in the language at his command,
which in any event was not capable of doing perfect justice to
the representations he saw.
"The Bible, perfect as it is in its simplicity, does not answer
to the great ideas of God; for infinite ideas cannot be perfectly
embodied in finite vehicles of thought. Instead of the expres-
sions of the Bible being exaggerated, as many people suppose,
the strong expressions break down before the magnificence of
the thought, though the penman selected the most expressive
language."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 22.
Read the vision of Revelation 1:12-20. If you had been a
prophet like John, would you have described the scene in the
identical language that John used?
"I walk with trembling before God. I know not how to speak
or trace with pen the large subject of the atoning sacrifice. I
know not how to present subjects in the living power in which
they stand before me. I tremble for fear lest I shall belittle the
great plan of salvation by cheap words. I bow my soul in awe
and reverence before God, and say, Who is sufficient for these
things?"—Testimonies to Ministers,
page 167.
FURTHER STUDY
Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, pp. 19-23.
66
The Primacy of the Bible
LESSON 8
❑
Wednesday
November
20
Part 4
HOLINESS A
PREREQUISITE
What kind of prophets are God's messengers frequently
described as being?
"As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which
have been since the world began." Luke 1:70.
"That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken
before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us
the apostles of the Lord and Saviour." 2 Peter 3:2.
Holiness of life was essential to the prophetic office. The
prophet might be struggling against personal prejudice like
Jonah, or fall into sin like David, or sin like Moses on the
borders of the Promised Land, but God could and did accept
the confession and repentance of these men. However, He
could not and did not continue to accept an apostate like Ba-
laam, who sold his allegiance to God for money and the fa-
vor of the world.
The life record of Ellen White, while not free from frailties,
was distinguished for its Christlike consistency and integrity.
She was a Christian woman who had faith in Jesus and lived
by that faith. The prophets of God had themselves to be what
they expected the people under their labors to become. To
teach holiness meant to live holiness. 'Higher than the high-
est human thought can reach is God's ideal for His children.
Godliness—godlikeness—is the goal to be reached."—Educa-
tion, page 18.
This is in harmony with God's command, "Be ye holy; for I
am holy." 1 Peter 1:16.
What kind of people should Christians be? 1 Peter 2:9.
Compare Deut. 7:6.
THINK IT THROUGH
How is holiness of life obtained? Why do not God's ser-
vants have more of true holiness in their lives? What is the
hindrance to a repetition of the successes of Pentecost?
"True holiness is wholeness in the service of God. This is
the condition of true Christian living. Christ asks for an unre-
served consecration, for undivided service. He demands the
heart, the mind, the soul, the strength. Self is not to be cher-
ished. He who lives to himself is not a Christian."—Christ's
Object Lessons,
pages 48, 49.
FURTHER STUDY
The Great Controversy,
pages 593-595;
Christ's Object Les-
sons,
"Two Worshipers," page 160.
67
The Primacy of the Bible
LESSON 8
Thursday
November 21
Part 5
AUTHORITY OF
THE SCRIPTURES
THINK IT THROUGH
FURTHER STUDY
68
Of whom do the Scriptures testify?
"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal
life: and they are they which testify of me." John 5:39.
"As you read the Bible, you will see the matchless charms
of Jesus. You will fall in love with the Man of Calvary. . . .
You may drink of the waters of salvation. . . . Then your lips
will speak thanksgiving to God."—Life
Sketches,
page 293.
In His earthly life, to what authority did Christ appeal?
Luke 4:4, 8, 10. See also Matt. 26:31; Deut. 8:3; Zech. 13:7.
"Jesus met Satan with the words of Scripture. 'It is writ-
ten,' He said. In every temptation the weapon of His warfare
was the word of God. Satan demanded of Christ a miracle as a
sign of His divinity. But that which is greater than all miracles,
a firm reliance upon a 'Thus saith the Lord,' was a sign that
could not be controverted. So long as Christ held to this posi-
tion, the tempter could gain no advantage."—The
Desire of
Ages,
page 120.
"We are to receive God's word as supreme authority. We
must accept its truths for ourselves. And we can appreciate
these truths only as we search them out by personal study."
—Testimonies,
Vol. 6, p. 402.
What is said of the enduring nature of the Word of Deity?
Isa. 40:8; Matt. 24:35; Ps. 119:89.
"This Holy Book has withstood the assaults of Satan, who
has united with evil men to make everything of divine charac-
ter shrouded in clouds and darkness. But the Lord has pre-
served this Holy Book by His own miraculous power in its
present shape—a chart or guidebook to the human family to
show them the way to heaven."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1,
p. 15.
What unique power is found in the Word of God? 1 Peter
1:23-25; 2:2.
The messages of Ellen White are like an inspired commen-
tary on the Holy Scriptures. "Education," pages 174, 175, e.g.
No other author in modern times has done more to make
God's book "come alive."
"The truths of the Bible, received, will uplift the mind from
its earthliness and debasement. If the word of God were appre-
ciated as it should be, both young and old would possess an
inward rectitude, a strength of principle, that would enable
them to resist temptation."—Testimonies, Vol. 8, p. 319.
The Great Controversy,
pages 596-598.
The Primacy of the Bible
LESSON 8
❑
Friday
November
22
Part 6
HOW TO STUDY
THE BIBLE
THINK IT THROUGH
What noble example in Bible study was set by the Bereans?
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that
they received the word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
Acts 17: I 1 .
Study with prayer.
"Never should the Bible be studied with-
out prayer. Before opening its pages we should ask for the
enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and it will be given."—Steps
to Christ,
page 91.
Approach with humility.
"We should . . . engage in the
study of the Bible with . . . a prayerful dependence upon
God and a sincere desire to learn His will. We must come
with a humble and teachable spirit to obtain knowledge from
the great I AM. Otherwise, evil angels will so blind our minds
and harden our hearts that we shall not be impressed by the
truth."—The
Great Controversy,
page 599.
What important principle stated with respect to the book of
Revelation can be applied to the whole Bible? Rev. 22:18, 19.
Respect all the Scripture.
"When men, compassed with hu-
man infirmities, affected in a greater or less degree by sur-
rounding influences, and having hereditary and cultivated
tendencies which are far from making them wise or heavenly-
minded, undertake to arraign the word of God, and to pass
judgment upon what is divine and what is human, they are
working without the counsel of God. . . . Skepticism has been
aroused in many minds by the theories presented as to the
nature of inspiration. Finite beings, with their narrow, short-
sighted views, feel themselves competent to criticize the Scrip-
tures, saying: 'This passage is needful, and that passage is not
needful, and is not inspired.'
"—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 709.
Take Bible
as
it reads.
"The language of the Bible should
be explained according to its obvious meaning, unless a sym-
bol or figure is employed. Christ has given the promise: 'If any
man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.' John 7:17.
If men would but take the Bible as it reads, if there were no
false teachers to mislead and confuse their minds, a work
would be accomplished that would make angels glad and that
would bring into the fold of Christ thousands who are now
wandering in error."—The
Great Controversy,
page 599.
Why cannot the "natural man" understand the Scriptures?
1 Cor. 2:12-14.
What are the qualifications of the seeker for truth in God's
Word?
FURTHER STUDY
The
Great Controversy,
pages 599-602.
69
LESSON 9
November 24-30
The Importance of
the Spirit of Prop
cy
"Wherefore He saith, When He as-
cended up on high, he led captivity cap-
tive, and gave gifts unto men." "And he
gave some, apostles; and some, proph-
ets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers; for the perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the min-
istry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ: till we all come in the unity of
the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the ful-
ness of Christ." Eph. 4:8, 11-13.
A total of more than twenty gifts of the
Holy Spirit -are enumerated in 1 Corin-
thians 12, Ephesians 4 and Romans 12.
Most are mentioned only once, some
twice. Teaching is specified three times
and prophecy four times.
It is important for Adventists to under-
stand the role of this unique and impor-
tant gift in their midst, especially in view
of the following statement: "In ancient
times God spoke to men by the mouth
of prophets and apostles. In these days
He speaks to them by the testimonies of
His Spirit. There was never a time when
God instructed His people more ear-
nestly than He instructs them now con-
cerning His will and the course that He
would have them
pursue."—Testimonies,
Vol. 4,
pp.
147, 148.
Ellen White explained, concerning her
own work, that, " 'The word of God is
sufficient to enlighten the most be-
clouded mind and may be understood
by those who have any desire to under-
stand it. But notwithstanding all this,
some who profess to make the
word
of
God their study are found living in direct
opposition to its plainest teachings.
Then, to leave men and women without
excuse, God gives plain and pointed
testimonies, bringing them' back to the
word that they have neglected to follow.'
'The word of God abounds in general
principles for the formation of correct
habits of living, and the testimonies, gen-
eral and personal, have been calculated
to call their attention more especially to
these principles.'
"—Testimonies,
Vol. 5,
pp. 663, 664.
"I have a work of great responsibility
to do," she wrote, "to impart by pen and
voice the instruction given me, not alone
to Seventh-day AdventistS, but to the
world. I have published ,.many books,
large and small, and some of these have
been translated into several languages.
This is my work—to open the Scriptures
to others as God -has opened them to
me."—Testimonies,
Vol. 8, p. 236.
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
Blessings of Spiritual Gifts,
1 Cor. 12:1
2.
Enduring Nature of the Gifts,
1 Cor. 14:1
3.
Purpose of the Gift of Prophecy,
Eph. 4:11, 12
4.
Active Among the Laodiceans,
Rev. 3:14, 18, 19
5.
Applies Bible Principles, Acts 10:34
6.
The Lord's Messenger, John 1:21, 23
The Importance of the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 9
❑
Sunday
November 24
Part 1
BLESSINGS OF
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
THINK IT THROUGH
Of what would Paul not have the Corinthian believers to
be ignorant?
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have
you ignorant." 1 Cor. 12:1.
See also Eph. 4:11.
The church should understand the place and operation of
"spiritual gifts." We talk much about the fruit of the Spirit,
little about the gifts. The gifts beautify the church and make
it noble in character, united in purpose, strong in witness—
ready for translation to heaven. In one sense the gifts of the
Holy Spirit are the tree from which the fruit of the Spirit
emerges. The labors and efforts of gifted pastors, teachers,
evangelists, and the spirit of prophecy operating in the ministry
of Ellen White have resulted in the fruitage of changed and
godly lives. The books
Steps to Christ
and The
Desire of Ages
have borne a great witness.
James White wrote in his preface to
Spiritual Gifts,
Vol. 3, p.
29: "The object of the gifts, as stated by Paul, was 'for the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of
the faith.' These were Heaven's appointed means to secure
the unity of the church. Christ prayed that His people might
be one, as He was one with His Father. Read John xvii. Paul
exhorted the Corinthians in the name of Christ to be perfectly
joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment.
Read 1 Cor. i, 10; Rom. xv, 5; Phil. ii, 1, 2; 1 Pet. iii, 8; v, 5.
The gifts were given to secure this state of unity."
Enumerate the principal gifts of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. 12:
28, 8-10. See also Rom. 12:6-8; Eph. 4:8-16.
"Finally we see that the out-pouring of the Spirit, the gift of
prophecy and dreams and visions of the Lord, are to be suf-
ficiently remarkable to constitute signs of the Second Advent,
and that they are classed with the signs in the sun and moon;
with 'wonders in the heavens and in the earth.' To the sceptic
and worldly-wise this sentiment will probably seem heretical;
but when compared with Joel ii, 28-32; Acts ii, 14-22, it will
be seen to be truth. Heaven and earth will pass away, but
God's word will stand."—James White,
Review and Herald,
April 21, 1851.
What gift of the Holy Spirit is more important than proph-
ecy? If the gifts of teaching and evangelism, for example,
have their place among the remnant people, why not the gift
of prophecy?
FURTHER STUDY
The Great Controversy,
Introduction, pages vii-ix.
72
The Importance of the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 9
❑
Monday
November
25
Part 2
ENDURING NATURE
OF THE GIFTS
THINK IT THROUGH
What gift did Paul say the Corinthian believers were
especially to desire?
"Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather
that ye may prophesy." 1 Cor. 14:1.
In Volume 1 of the
Testimonies
Ellen White wrote concern-
ing the duty of the church to prize the gifts and not to surren-
der their faith in them because of "disappointed ones."
"Some, I was shown, could receive the published visions,
judging of the tree by its fruits. Others are like doubting
Thomas; they cannot believe the published
Testimonies,
nor
receive evidence through the testimony of others; but must see
and have the evidence for themselves. Such must not be set
aside, but long patience and brotherly love should be exer-
cised toward them until they find their position and become
established for or against. If they fight against the visions,
. . . the church may know that they are not right. God's peo-
ple should not cringe and yield, and give up their liberty to
such disaffected ones. God has placed the gifts in the church
that the church may be benefited by them; and when professed
believers in the truth oppose these gifts, and fight against the
visions, souls are in danger through their influence, and it is
time then to labor with them, that the weak may not be led
astray by their influence."—Testimonies, Vol. 1, pp. 328, 329.
Where were spiritual gifts to be manifest? 1 Cor. 12:28.
For over a century General Conference sessions have voted
confidence in the gift of prophecy given to Ellen White.
The following statements, made by delegates in official ses-
sion of the General Conference in 1867 and 1958 are typical:
"Resolved,
That we express our continued faith in the per-
petuity of Spiritual gifts during the gospel dispensation, and
our gratitude to God that he has intimately connected the spirit
of prophecy with the proclamation of the third angel's mes-
sage."—Review
and Herald,
May 28, 1867.
"As delegates to the world session of the General Confer-
ence of Seventh-day Adventists, we reaffirm our belief and
full confidence in this prophetic gift, as manifested through
Ellen G. White."—Review
and Herald,
June 25, 1958.
If the spirit of prophecy books were removed from us in one
stroke, what would result?
Ellen White wrote, "Whether or not my life is spared, my
writings will constantly speak, and their work will go forward
as long as time shall last."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 55.
FURTHER STUDY
The Great Controversy,
Introduction, pp. x-xii.
73
The Importance
of the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 9
Tuesday
November 26
Part 3
What is God's stated purpose in bestowing spiritual gifts
PURPOSE OF THE
in the church?
GIFT OF PROPHECY
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ." Eph. 4:11, 12.
See also 1 Cor. 12:7; 14:22.
How long were the gifts to remain in the church? Are they
needed today? Eph. 4:13, 14.
What prayer did Jesus pray for His followers? John 17:21.
"God is leading a people out from the world upon the ex-
alted platform of eternal truth, the commandments of God and
the faith of Jesus. He will discipline and fit up His people.
They will not be at variance, one believing one thing, and an-
other having faith and views entirely opposite, each moving
independently of the body. Through the diversity of the gifts
and governments that He has placed in the church, they will
all come to the unity of the
faith."—Testimonies,
Vol. 3, p. 446.
Uriah Smith, first secretary of the General Conference and
longtime editor of the
Review and Herald,
testified concerning
the influence of the spirit of prophecy:
"Their fruit [of the writings of Ellen White] is such as to
show that the source from which they spring, is the opposite
of evil.
"They tend to the purest morality. They discountenance
every vice, and exhort to the practice of every virtue. They
point out the perils through which we are to pass to the king-
dom. They reveal the devices of Satan. They warn us against
his snares. They have nipped in the bud, scheme after scheme
of fanaticism which the enemy has tried to foist into our midst.
They have exposed hidden iniquity, brought to light concealed
wrongs, and laid bare the evil motives of the false-hearted."—
Review and Herald,
June 12, 1866, page 9.
What prayer did David offer concerning God's Word? Ps.
119:22, 24, 36,
111.
THINK IT THROUGH
What should be my response to God for His gift of proph-
ecy?
"Thank God for the bright pictures which He has presented
to us. Let us group together the blessed assurances of His
love, that we may look upon them continually."—Steps
to
Christ,
page 118.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 236-238.
74
The Importance of the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 9
❑
Wednesday
November 27
Part 4
ACTIVE AMONG
THE LAODICEANS
THINK IT THROUGH
How does the True Witness deal with the Laodicean church,
and what counsel does He offer?
"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God." "I counsel thee to buy of
me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white
raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of
thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with
eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke
and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." Rev. 3:14,
18, 19.
All the benefits of Christ's atonement are offered freely to
the Laodiceans. To make us feel our need of Christ and His
gift of salvation there is a chastening process. This is accom-
plished by the messages of reproof and correction given to us
in His inspired messages.
Ellen White declared: "The Lord has seen fit to counsel
Elder [Uriah] Smith, to give him words of reproof because he
had erred; but is this an evidence that God has forsaken him?
—No. 'As many as I love I rebuke and chasten: be zealous
therefore, and repent' (Rev. 3:19). The Lord reproves wrongs
in His people, but is this an evidence that He has rejected
them?—No. There are errors in the church, and the Lord points
them out by His own ordained agencies, not always through
the testimonies."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 2, p. 81.
Instead of an indication of God's rejection, of what is the
chastening of the Lord a certain evidence? Heb. 12:6, 7.
What excellent results does this chastening produce?
Verse 11.
What is the meaning to the church today of the message to
Laodicea? Before you answer—ask, Am I included?
"The message to the Laodiceans is applicable to Seventh-
day Adventists who have had great light and have not walked
in the light. It is those who have made great profession, but
have not kept in step with their Leader, that will be spewed out
of His mouth unless they
repent."—Selected Messages,
Bk. 2,
p. 66.
"The counsel of the True Witness is full of encouragement
and comfort. The clourches may yet obtain the gold of truth,
faith, and love, and be rich in heavenly treasure."—The
Faith
I Live By,
page 306.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 4, pp. 87-90.
75
The Importance
of the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 9
❑
Thursday
November 28
Part 5
What important Bible principle did Peter's vision of Acts 10
APPLIES BIBLE
remind him?
PRINCIPLES
"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I per-
ceive that God is no respecter of persons." Acts 10:34.
Read Acts 10:1-35. See 2 Chron. 19:7.
The vision God gave to Peter on the housetop corrected
him as a Jew in his prejudicial attitude toward the Gentiles. In
Peter's case the problem was race prejudice—an attitude
condemned by the Scriptures (Deut. 10:17) and the example of
Jesus (Matt. 15:21-29). Yet the apostle learned the lesson
slowly. See Gal. 2:11-14. But the vision helped him to grasp
the Bible principle.
The visions of Ellen White correct those who err from Bible
principles. At the close of her first book,
Christian Experience
and Views of Mrs. E. G. White
(1851), she presented the matter
like this:
"I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the
rule of your faith and practice. By that Word we are to be
judged. God has, in that Word, promised to give visions in the
'last days';
not for a new rule of faith, but for the comfort of
His people,
and to correct those who err from Bible truth. Thus
God dealt with Peter when He was about to send him to preach
to the Gentiles.
(Acts
10.)"—Early Writings,
page 78. (Empha-
sis supplied.)
How does Ellen White indicate the relationship of her mes-
sages to the Bible? "Little heed is given to the Bible, and the
Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the
greater
light."—Colporteur Ministry,
page 125.
The operation of the Holy Spirit in the writings of Ellen
White was intended to exalt the Scripture testimony, not to
supersede it. The following extract from a testimony published
in 1876 shows this:
"Brother J would confuse the mind by seeking to make it
appear that the light God has given through the
Testimonies
is
an addition to the word of God, but in this he presents the
matter in a false light. God has seen fit in this manner to bring
the minds of His people to His word, to give them a clearer
understanding of
it."—Testimonies,
Vol. 4, p. 246.
THINK IT THROUGH
A mother will tie a string around her forgetful child's fin-
ger. What has God done by His Spirit to help the church to-
day not to forget Bible principles?
"We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall
forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past
history."—Life
Sketches,
page 196.
FURTHER STUDY
Patriarchs and Prophets,
first five pages of "Introduction"
by Uriah Smith.
76
The Importance of the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 9
❑
Friday
November 29
Part 6
THE LORD'S
MESSENGER
THINK IT THROUGH
What claim did John the Baptist make?
"And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he
saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered,
No." "He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias."
John 1:21, 23.
John the Baptist made no claim to greatness. But Jesus
called him a prophet "and more than a prophet." Matt. 11:9.
What claim did Ellen White make for herself and her work?
"I
have had no claims to make, only that / am
instructed that I
am the Lord's messenger;
that He called me in my youth to
be His messenger, to receive His word, and to give a clear
and decided message in the name of the Lord Jesus."—
Selected Messages,
Bk.
1, p.
32.
Why did Ellen White refrain from claiming to be a prophet?
In a public address delivered Oct. 2, 1904, in Battle Creek,
Michigan, she stated that she did "not claim to be a proph-
etess."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1,
p.
35. Explaining this
later, she wrote: "My work includes much more than this name
signifies. I regard myself as a messenger, entrusted by the Lord
with messages for His people. . . . My commission embraces
the work of a prophet, but it does not end there."—Page 36.
What work did God "especially" assign to Ellen White?
"The work which the Lord has laid out before me especially
is to urge young and old, learned and unlearned, to search the
Scriptures for themselves; . . . to assure all that the clear
knowledge of the Bible outdoes all other knowledge in making
man what God designed he should
be."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5,
p. 686.
Does the reading of these prophetic writings whet my appe-
tite for Bible study? When I read Ellen White's writings, do I
find myself thinking primarily of the writer's style or of God's
salvation; of Ellen White or of Christ; of the beauty of the
language or of the truth expressed?
FURTHER STUDY
Patriarchs and Prophets,
second five pages of "Introduction"
by Uriah Smith.
77
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LESSON 10
December 1-7
"And the dragon was wroth with the
woman, and went to make war with
the remnant of her seed, which keep the
commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17.
A Church Second to None
"God has a distinct people, a church
on earth, second to none, but superior
to all in their facilities to teach the truth,
to vindicate the law of God. . . . Let all
. . . be found at last among those who
have the patience of the saints, who
keep the commandments of God, and
have the faith of
Jesus."—Testimonies
to Ministers,
page 58.
Built on a Sure Foundation
"Let none seek to tear away the foun-
dations of our faith—the foundations
that were laid at the beginning of our
work by prayerful study of the word and
by revelation. Upon these foundations
we have been building for the last fifty
years. Men may suppose that they have
found a new way and that they can lay
a stronger foundation than that which
has been laid. But this is a great decep-
tion. Other foundation can no man lay
than that which has been laid.
"In the past many have undertaken
the building of a new faith, the establish-
ment of new principles. But how long
did their building stand? It soon fell, for
it was not founded upon the Rock....
"So we are to hold the beginning of
our confidence steadfast unto the end.
Words of power have been sent by God
and by Christ to this people, bringing
them out from the world, point by point,
into the clear light of present truth. With
lips touched with holy fire, God's ser-
vants have proclaimed the message.
The divine utterance has set its seal
to the genuineness of the truth pro-
claimed."—Testimonies,
Vol. 8, p. 297.
Attack by the Enemy
"The enemy is seeking to divert the
minds of our brethren and sisters from
the work of preparing a people to stand
in these last days. His sophistries are
designed to lead minds away from the
perils and duties of the hour. They esti-
mate as nothing the light that Christ
came from heaven to give to John for
His people. They teach that the scenes
just before us are not of sufficient im-
portance to receive special attention.
They make of no effect the truth of heav-
enly origin and rob the people of God
of their past experience, giving them
instead a false science.
"'Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in
the ways, and see, and ask for the old
paths, where is the good way, and walk
therein.' Jeremiah
6:16."—Testimonies,
Vol. 8, p. 296.
"Let all be careful not to make an out-
cry against the only people who are
fulfilling the description given of the
remnant people who keep the com-
mandments of God and have faith in
Jesus, who are exalting the standard of
righteousness in these last
days."—Tes-
timonies to Ministers,
page 58.
LESSON OUTLINE
I. The Spirit in the Church, 1 Cor.
3:10, 11
2.
Endowments of the Spirit, 1 Cor.
12:7-11
3.
The Church in Prophecy, Rev. 12:1
4.
The Remnant Church, Rev. 12:17
(first part)
5.
Identification of the Remnant, Rev.
12:17; 19:10 (last part)
6.
The Church Today
Christ's Church
LESSON 10
❑
Sunday
December 1
Part 1
THE SPIRIT IN
THE CHURCH
Identify the foundation of God's work in the world.
"According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as
a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and an-
other buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he
buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 3:10, 11.
"To those who believe, Christ is a sure foundation. Upon
this living stone, Jews and Gentiles alike may build. It is broad
enough for all and strong enough to sustain the weight and
burden of the whole world."—The
Acts of the Apostles,
page
175.
How did Christ begin to lay the foundation of His church?
John 1:36-51.
"With the calling of John and Andrew and Simon, of Philip
and Nathanael, began the foundation of the Christian church."
—The Desire of Ages,
page 141.
Whom did Jesus appoint as His successor in this world?
John 14:16-18.
"The Holy Spirit is Christ's representative, but divested of
the personality of humanity, and independent thereof."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 669.
"The Comforter is called 'the Spirit of truth.' His work is to
define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as
the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There
is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or com-
fort can be found in falsehood. . . . Through the Scriptures the
Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the
heart."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 671.
How long was the Spirit to abide with the church? John
14:16.
"Christ has promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to His church,
and the promise belongs to us as much as to the first disciples.
"We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy
Spirit as the disciples prayed on the day of Pentecost. If they
needed it at that time, we need it more today."—The
Faith I
Live By,
page 53.
How can the church today enjoy a larger measure of the
Spirit's presence?
Testimonies,
Vol. 8, pp. 19-23.
THINK IT THROUGH
FURTHER STUDY
80
Christ's Church
LESSON 10
❑
Monday
December 2
Part 2
ENDOWMENTS OF
THE SPIRIT
THINK IT THROUGH
FURTHER STUDY
What endowments were promised to the Christian church
through the Spirit?
"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of
wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same
Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts
of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of mira-
cles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to
another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation
of tongues. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame
Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." 1 Cor.
12:7-11.
The Holy Spirit was the highest gift that Christ could solicit
from the Father for the benefit of His people. But the Spirit of
God, Himself a Gift, became a Giver of gifts. 1 Cor. 12:1, 7.
Uriah Smith, in the last page of his introduction to the book
Patriarchs and Prophets,
wrote: "These gifts are said to be
'set in the
church,'
and if a gift is bestowed upon even one
member of the church, it may be said that that gift is 'in the
church: "
What assurance of His continuing presence did Christ give
to His disciples? Matt. 28:20, last part.
Jesus' promise, "Lo, I am with you alway," is fulfilled
through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Master said of
His representative, the Spirit of God, "He dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you." John 14:17. Wrote John, "Hereby we
know that he [Christ] abideth in us, by the Spirit which he
hath given us." 1 John 3:24.
The Spirit of God, said Jesus, would "abide with you for
ever." John 14:16. The gifts of the Spirit are to be with the
church until the end of time—always functioning in harmony
with the "truth as it is in Jesus," our Lord and Leader.
The pastor, evangelist, and teacher in your local church are
God's gift to you. What happens when God's gifts are
spurned? Is prophecy a gift also?
"God often uses the simplest means to accomplish the great-
est results. It is His plan that every part of His work shall de-
pend on every other part, as a wheel within a wheel, all acting
in harmony. The humblest worker, moved by the Holy Spirit,
will touch invisible chords, whose vibrations will ring to the
ends of the earth, and make melody through eternal ages."—
The Desire of Ages,
pages 822, 823.
Christ's Object Lessons,
"Talents," pages 327, 328.
81
Christ's Church
LESSON 10
❑
Tuesday
December 3
Part 3
THE CHURCH IN
PROPHECY
THINK IT THROUGH
By what symbol did Christ represent the church to John?
"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon
her head a crown of twelve stars." Rev. 12:1.
Read Rev. 12:2-5.
(1.) The woman clothed with the sun represents the true
church. See Jer. 6:2; Eph. 5:25.
(2)
The "man child" who will rule the world with a rod of
iron is Jesus Christ. See Ps. 2:7-9.
(3)
The great red dragon is symbolic of Satan in a primary
sense and, secondarily, of pagan Rome. See Rev. 12:9;
The
Great Controversy,
page 438.
(4)
The remnant of the woman's seed stands for the last true
church of Christ. See Rev. 12:17.
Unsuccessful in his attacks upon the "man child" of the
woman, Satan next attacked the church. Persecution broke out
against the infant church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1; 9:1, 2), later
over much of the pagan Romin Empire, still later throughout
papal Europe (for nearly 1,260 years—Rev. 12:6, 14). It was a
time of great trial for the faithful few who followed the truth of
God and rejected the quasi-Christian doctrine of the estab-
lished church.
By the end of the eighteenth century, however, the flood tide
of persecution ceased. The time was now ripe for the fulfill-
ment of the last part of the symbolic prophecy concerning the
tried and tested church of the last days—the remnant.
Open and painful persecution is an unknown experience to
most Christians today. Why? Did not Jesus suffer the cruelest
persecution? Is the absence of persecution a sign of God's
favor?
"The same spirit of hatred and opposition to the truth has
inspired the enemies of God in every age, and the same vigi-
lance and fidelity have been required in His servants. The
words of Christ to the first disciples are applicable to His fol-
lowers to the close of time: 'What I say unto you I say unto all,
Watch.' Mark 13:37."—The
Great Controversy,
pages 56, 57.
FURTHER STUDY
The Acts of the Apostles,
pages 11-13.
82
Christ's Church
LESSON 10
❑
Wednesday
December 4
Part 4
What action did Satan take against the woman and her
THE REMNANT
children?
CHURCH
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to
make war with the remnant of her seed." Rev. 12:17 (first
part).
The noun "remnant" is from the Greek,
loipoi,
"remaining
ones," from the verb,
leipo,
"to leave," "to leave behind," and
does not here represent a few scattered believers but a group
led forth from mystical Babylon as a remnant was led out of
literal Babylon at the end of the exile. See
SDA Bible Commen-
tary,
Vol. 7, pp. 812-815.
The "remnant" are as much the object of Satan's attacks at
the close of the gospel dispensation as Christ and the apostles
were at the time the Christian church was established. Warfare
against God's people has never ceased. Rather it has intensi-
fied through the centuries and will soon reach its climax.
Speaking of the near future in the context of Revelation 12:
17, Ellen White wrote:
"The dignitaries of church and state will unite to bribe, per-
suade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of
divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments.
Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for
truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order
to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a
law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty of conscience, which
has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected. In
the soon-coming conflict we shall see exemplified the prophet's
words: 'The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to
make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the com-
mandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.'
Revelation 12:17."—The
Great Controversy,
page 592.
In view of the coming destruction of the world's civiliza-
tion, what experience does Peter say believers should have?
2 Peter 3:11.
THINK IT THROUGH
True martyrs are never self-made; they are created by the
circumstances of their fidelity to God and the truth.
"Satan hopes to involve the remnant people of God in the
general ruin that is coming upon the earth. As the coming of
Christ draws nigh, he will be more determined and decisive in
his efforts to overthrow them. Men and women will arise pro-
fessing to have some new light or some new revelation whose
tendency is to unsettle faith in the old landmarks. Their doc-
trines will not bear the test of God's word, yet souls will be de-
ceived."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 295, 296.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 8, pp. 41, 42.
83
Christ's Church
LESSON 10
❑
Thursday
December
5
Part 5
IDENTIFICATION
OF THE REMNANT
THINK IT THROUGH
What marks of identity are provided to distinguish the
remnant church?
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to
make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the com-
mandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.'
"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rev. 12:
17; 19:10 (last part).
Most translators of these verses render it "testimony of
Jesus" or "to Jesus."
"The term [testimony of Jesus] in the original Greek is in
the genitive case, generally the equivalent of the English con-
struction with
of,
most commonly indicating possession. Hence
it can be understood as Jesus' testimony—the testimony that
Christ Himself bears today when He manifests Himself in a
special way through those who have the gift of prophecy. . . .
"It is not testimony
to
Jesus or
concerning
Jesus, but the
testimony
of
Him."—W. E. Read,
The Bible, the Spirit of
Prophecy, and the Church,
pages 107, 108.
What did the angel declare that John's brethren the proph.
ets possessed? Rev. 19:10; 22:9.
What further marks of identity does the remnant church
possess? Rev. 14:12.
The gift of prophecy is to appear in a Christian church
which has the "faith of Jesus" and that church keeps "the
commandments of God" (including the Sabbath). These two
characteristics—faith and obedience—identify the remnant
church of the prophecy.
Many a sincere person pleading with God for light and
truth would give a fortune to discover the true church. What
value has this identifying text (Rev. 12:17) to you as a
Seventh-day Adventist?
"The Lord will teach us our duty just as willingly as He will
teach somebody else. If we come to Him in faith, He will
speak His mysteries to us personally. . . . Those who decide
to do nothing in any line that will displease God, will know,
after presenting their case before Him, just what course to pur-
sue. And they will receive not only wisdom, but strength.
Power for obedience, for service, will be imparted to them, as
Christ has promised."—The
Desire of Ages,
page 668.
Testimonies,
Vol. 3, pp. 446-448.
FURTHER STUDY
84
'Christ's Church
LESSON 10
❑
Friday
December 6
In what Christian movement of these latter days have the gift
of prophecy and the other marks of prophetic identity been
observed? As students of Bible prophecy, Seventh-day Ad-
ventists see in the historical movement to which they belong a
fulfillment of the specifications of the prophecy. While other
born-again Christians, honest in heart, are
potentially
members
of the remnant church, we hold, without a sense of bigotry, to
the solemn truth that the Seventh-day Adventist movement it-
self represents the remnant of Revelation 12:17.
What message of truth has been entrusted to the remnant
people? Rev. 14:6-12. Compare Matt. 24:14.
"Christ is coming the second time, with power unto salva-
tion. To prepare human beings for this event, He has sent the
first, second, and third angels' messages. These angels repre-
sent those who receive the truth, and with power open the gos-
pel to the world."—Ellen G. White Comments,
SDA Bible Com-
mentary,
Vol. 7, pp. 978, 979.
The people who give this three-fold message constitute
the
"remnant" of the long and worthy line of God's chosen people
who have "survived the fierce onslaughts of the dragon down
through history, most particularly the darkness, persecution,
and error of the 'time, and times, and half a time,' or 1260
'days' of vs 6, 14. It is God's
last
'remnant' by virtue of the
fact that it is the appointed herald of His final appeal to the
world to accept the gracious gift of salvation (ch. 14:6-12)."—
SDA
Bible Commentary,
Vol.
7,
p. 815.
What did Jesus promise concerning the triumph of the
church He established? Matt. 16:18 (last part). Compare Joel
2:32.
"I warn the Seventh-day Adventist Church to be careful how
you receive every new notion and those who claim to have
great light. The character of their work seems to be to accuse
and to tear down. Let the believers heed the voice of the
angel who said to the church, 'Press together.' In unity is yoyr
strength. Love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. God hath
a church, and Christ hath declared, 'The gates of hell shall
not prevail against it.' The messengers the Lord sends bear
the divine credentials."—Ellen G. White,
The Remnant Church,
page 46 (first printing, p. 53).
Is it possible to be numbered among the believers in .God's
remnant church and to advocate the truth without false pride?
with great and humble joy?
In these days of uncertainty, what is the result of knowing
for sure "the present truth"? See 2 Peter 1:12.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies to Ministers,
pages 132-135.
85
Part 6
THE CHURCH
TODAY
THINK IT THROUGH
A Gift that Guards
and Guides
During the seventy years of her ministry (1845-1915) Ellen White was used
as God's instrument to bring prophetic guidance to His people, often in times
of crisis. A historical review of the guiding and guarding influences of the spirit
of prophecy in church life through the years gives clear, convincing ground
LESSON 11
December 8-14
for confidence in God's leadership. This was true especially in the early days
when error and fanaticism threatened the leaders of the movement and she
wrote:
"Those who passed over the ground step by step in the past history of our
experience, seeing the chain of truth in the prophecies, were prepared to accept
and obey every ray of light. They were praying, fasting, searching, digging for
the truth as for hidden treasures, and the Holy Spirit, we know, was teaching
and guiding us. Many theories were advanced, bearing a semblance of truth,
but so mingled with misinterpreted and misapplied scriptures, that they led to
dangerous errors. Very well do we know how every point of truth was estab-
lished, and the seal set upon it by the Holy Spirit of God. And all the time
voices were heard, 'Here is the truth,' I have the truth; follow me.' But the
warnings came, 'Go not ye after them. I have not sent them, but they ran.' (See
Jeremiah 23:21.)
"The leadings of the Lord were marked, and most wonderful were His reve-
lations of what is truth. Point after point was established by the Lord God of
heaven. That which was truth
then,
is truth today."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 2,
pp. 103, 104.
Ellen White was not the leader of the advent movement as Moses was of the
Exodus movement. She did not serve in a kingly capacity as David did over Is-
rael. Her work was more like the work of Samuel, who was a teacher in Israel.
But as the Israel of old, "from Dan to Beersheba," recognized in Samuel the
work of a true prophet of God, so have Seventh-day Adventists recognized in
the work of Ellen White an instrumentality of God's Holy Spirit sent to give
guidance and spiritual aid and comfort to His people. Her messages-have been
a guarding, preserving influence.
Many instances in Ellen White's ministry gave evidence of the special guid-
ance and guarding intervention of the Lord in connection with the beginnings
and growth of the advent movement.
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
Guardianship, 1 Sam. 9:9
2.
Vision of the Publishing Work
3.
Establishing Church Order, Acts 6
4.
Guidance, 2 Chron. 32:20, 22
5.
Messages That Preserved, Hosea 12:13
6.
In Times of Crisis, Eph. 4:14, 15
A Gift That Guards and Guides
LESSON 11
❑
Sunday
December 8
Part 1
What were the prophets in Samuel's day called?
GUARDIANSHIP
"Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God,
thus he spoke, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is
now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer." 1 Sam.
9:9.
In one of her earliest books,
Spiritual Gifts,
Bk. 1, Ellen
White described the many scenes of the great controversy
vision given to her at Lovett's Grove, Ohio, in the spring of
1858. In writing out her views she prepared a book of 219
pages. Over 200 times she wrote, "I was shown," "I was
pointed back," "I saw," "I was told," "It was presented before
me," et cetera. Thus she described scenes past and future as
an "eyewitness." Eventually the great controversy theme was
presented more fully in the
Conflict of the Ages
series.
The prophetic visions of Ellen White, from the earliest day
of the movement, provided:
1.
Protection against danger from within the church.
When,
in the 1850's, self-confidence, pride, and fanaticism threatened
the spirituality of the movement, the spirit of prophecy coun-
sels exposed this perilous position. See
Testimonies,
Vol. 1,
pp. 113-115; 311-323; 356, 357; 409-419.
2.
Protection against danger from without the church.
The
devices of the enemy were unmasked, first in exposing mes-
merism (or hypnotism), then much in the public eye, and in re-
vealing the true elements of deception in modern spiritualism,
which had its beginnings in 1848. See
Early Writings,
pages 59,
60; 262-266.
3.
Guidance in the understanding of basic Christian truths.
The people of God were led into a fuller understanding of the
plan of redemption and into a clearer knowledge of the mean-
ing of current events and future events through the compre-
hensive great controversy vision of 1858. See
Early Writings,
pages 145-295.
"I was shown . . . that I should devote myself to writing
out the important matters for volume 4
[The Great Controversy];
that the warning must go where the living messenger could not
go, and that it would call the attention of many to the impor-
tant events to occur in the closing scenes of this world's his-
tory.—Letter 1,
1890."—Colporteur Ministry,
page 128.
THINK IT THROUGH
Name two or three specific areas where the spirit of proph-
ecy has proved to be the "eyes" of the church. Consider 2
Chronicles 20:20 (last part) in the light of this special guid-
ance.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 9,
pp.
8-10.
88
A
Gift
That Guards and Guides
LESSON 11
❑
Monday
December
9
Part 2
VISION OF THE
PUBLISHING WORK
THINK IT THROUGH
At a conference held in the home of Otis Nichols at Dor-
chester, Massachusetts, in November, 1848, the pioneers
sought God for special guidance. Heaven seemed near, and
to Ellen White was given a vision full of light. At first there was
only a tiny moving light. But it circled the globe and became
bigger all the time. After the vision she said to her husband:
"'I have a message for you. You must begin to print a lit-
tle paper and send it out to the people. Let it be small at first;
but as the people read, they will send you means with which
to print, and it will be a success from the first. From this
small beginning it was shown to me to be like streams of
light that went clear round the world.'
"—Life Sketches,
page
125.
Thus through the guiding light of prophecy
Present Truth,
our first denominational periodical, was born. Scores of peo-
ple accepted the third angel's message in the months that fol-
lowed. This initial printing endeavor brought "good tidings"
and "peace" and "salvation" to those who read it. Today 50
publishing houses issue literature in nearly 200 languages,
valued at approximately $50,000,000 a year—"streams of light"
going "clear round the world"!
"One cannot dip deeply into the story of the Seventh-day
Adventist publishing work without knowing that here, indeed, is
the vanguard of the church. In Christ-centered publishing
houses the odor of printer's ink is transformed into the incense
of heaven; the rumble of presses swells into the thunder of
truth; the shuffle of paper makes way for the rustle of angel
wings."—M. Carol Hetzell,
The Undaunted,
Introduction.
Millions of people—literally—have joined the Seventh-day
Adventist church through the long years. Many were first
impressed by reading our literature. What influence have
Seventh-day Adventist books and magazines exerted upon
your mind and character? How will it be in the future?
"God will soon do great things for us if we lie humble and
believing at His feet. . . . More than one thousand will soon
be converted in one day, most of whom will trace their first
convictions to the reading of our publications."—Colporteur
Ministry,
page 151.
FURTHER STUDY
Life Sketches,
pages 125-128.
89
A Gift That Guards and Guides
LESSON 11
❑
Tuesday
December 10
Part 3
ESTABLISHING
CHURCH ORDER
What experiences in the New Testament church demon-
strated the value of church order and organization? Acts 6.
See also Acts 15:6-32.
What a blessing clearly defined organization was to the early
Christian church. The "remnant church" experienced similar
incidents as discordant elements worked against unity. Ellen
White wrote of this in 1851, encouraging the development of
gospel order to protect the little flock of believers.
"I saw that this door at which the enemy comes in to per-
plex and trouble the flock can be shut. I inquired of the angel
how it could be closed. He said, 'The church must flee to
God's Word and become established upon gospel order, which
has been overlooked and neglected.' This is indispensably
necessary in order to bring the church into the unity of the
faith."—Early
Writings,
page 100.
As early as 1853 James White wrote in favor of "order and
strict discipline in the church of Christ." Others supported the
suggestion to organize in the interests of the growing church.
In 1861 the first local conference was organized in Michigan
with Joseph Bates as president. The General Conference fol-
lowed in 1863. Today the church is established on every con-
tinent and major island. If it had not been for the development
of organization, we could not today carry on a widespread mis-
sion program.
What experience came to the apostle Paul that led him to
carry the gospel to Europe? Acts 16:9, 10.
"Advance!" "Advance!" "Enter new territories" has been
the watchword among God's servants in apostolic and subse-
quent times. It was through a vision that Paul was led to
carry the gospel to Europe. Likewise our first overseas worker,
John N. Andrews, entered Europe in response to a prophetic
vision given the Lord's messenger. In a night vision, "One of
dignity and authority" was heard by Ellen White to speak:
"'The whole world,' He said, 'is God's great vineyard.'
"—
Testimonies,
Vol. 7, p. 34.
THINK IT THROUGH
Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gos-
pel." But in the early 1870's there was nothing of the Sev-
enth-day Adventist Church established except in America. The
spirit of prophecy goaded the church into action. In 1874 we
began to move into mission territory. Where would we have
been today without this provocative testimony?
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 1, pp. 239, 650-653.
90
A
Gift That Guards and Guides
LESSON 11
❑
Wednesday
December 11
Part 4
In the days of Hezekiah what remarkable instance of divine
GUIDANCE
guidance and protection occurred?
Then "Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son
of Amoz, prayed and . . . the Lord saved Hezekiah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the
king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided
them on every side." 2 Chron. 32:20, 22.
Compare Isa. 37:1, 2, 6, 7, 33-37.
As Hezekiah, the God-fearing king, and the prophet Isaiah
sought the deliverance of Judah from threatened annihilation at
the hand of the boastful king of Assyria, "the Lord sent an
angel, which cut off all the mighty men" (2 Chron. 32:21), and
the king of Assyria was compelled to abandon the expedition.
Jerusalem was "guided . . . on every side."
And God has guided His remnant people "on every side"
through the spirit of prophecy. The following illustrations make
this clear:
1.
Initial counsels on healthful living in 1863 resulted in the
establishment of a medical institution in 1866 at Battle Creek,
Michigan. Here the sick might find physical and spiritual heal-
ing and "learn how to take care of themselves and thus pre-
vent sickness."—Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 494. This was the be-
ginning of a large sanitarium and hospital work which has
since spread over the globe.
2.
The reorganization of the General Conference in 1901
occurred at a time when the work was being hampered by
centralization of authority. Today Seventh-day Adventists have
developed a structure of church organization that provides for
decision making in the field where the decision is needed.
The church was confronted with a reorganization plan along
non-sectarian lines and following pantheistic teaching as advo-
cated by one of our best known leaders. But the servant of
the Lord gave specific counsel against it. "Who has authority
to begin such a movement?" she asked. "We have our Bibles.
We have our experience, attested to by the miraculous working
of the Holy Spirit. We have a truth that admits of no compro-
mise. Shall we not repudiate everything that is not in harmony
with this truth?"—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 205. See also
page 204.
THINK IT THROUGH
Were the counsels of Ellen G. White practical or theoretical?
Did one type of counsel exclude the other?
91
A Gift That Guards and Guides
LESSON 11
❑
Thursday
December 12
Part 5
In addition to leading the nation of Israel, what other work
MESSAGES THAT
is Moses said to have done?
PRESERVED
"And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,
and by a prophet was he preserved." Hosea 12:13.
God miraculously delivered Israel, degraded in slavery and
largely in ignorance and apostasy, by the hand of Moses and
led them to the borders of the Promised Land.
"By a prophet was he preserved."
To ensure the best of
spiritual and physical health God gave to His people just laws,
intended to make of them an exhibit before all the world of
the benefits to be derived from a cheerful adherence to right
principles. But time and again they rebelled, and time and
again the prophetic voice of Moses was heard warning them
of the tragedies that would follow disobedience and assuring
them of the favor and blessings of God if they followed the
divine instruction. Their preservation and survival as a nation
depended on this. See Ps. 106; 1 Cor. 10:1-11.
A review of the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
discloses how by the hand of a prophet we have been "pre-
served" by the divine instruction and protected from Satan's
many attacks.
Protection from fanaticism.
One of the first burdens laid
upon the youthful Ellen Harmon in the early days was to erect
a wall about the church and protect it from fanatics who taught
extreme views such as holy flesh and instantaneous sanctifi-
cation.
In
Life Sketches,
pages 83-89, we read of attempts made by
some to set specific times for the Lord to come. These danger-
ous views were squarely met by Ellen White. She was shown
by the Lord that these dates would pass by. See also
Testi-
monies,
Vol. 1, p. 72.
The church will face fanatics again, and the experiences of
the past will be repeated. Though extreme views will be
taught and practiced, the church as a whole will not be mis-
led. What is the source of our protection? How can we tell
the difference between truth and error?
"The principles of truth that God has revealed to us are our
only true foundation. They have made us what we are. The
lapse of time has not lessened their value. It is the constant
effort of the enemy to remove these truths from their setting,
and to put in their place spurious theories. He will bring in
everything that he possibly can to carry out his deceptive de-
signs. But the Lord will raise up men of keen perception, who
will give these truths their proper place in the plan of God."—
Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 201.
THINK IT THROUGH
92
A
Gift That Guards and Guides
LESSON 11
❑
Friday
December 13
Part 6
What result follows the operation of spiritual gifts in the
IN TIMES OF CRISIS
church?
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro,
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight
of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into
him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Eph. 4:
14, 15.
Paul pictured the church with a membership stable in all its
positions, not "tossed to and fro" by "every wind of doctrine"
introduced "by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness."
Five "Sabbath conferences" were held in 1848 by the early
Sabbath-keeping Adventists to seek out the truths of the Bible.
"At these conferences, . . . the several points of truth
were formed into one united belief. It was here that the foun-
dations of Seventh-day Adventist doctrine were laid. And here
again, God used the Spirit of prophecy to protect and lead
His people, through giving one or two visions at each of the
conferences. These visions, however, did not constitute a sub-
stitute for Bible study. . . .
"Writing shortly after the time of the Sabbath conferences,
Ellen White stated: 'We had to search and wait the opening of
truth, receiving a ray of light here and a ray there, laboring and
pleading for God to reveal truth to us. But now the truth is
plain; its rays are brought together. The blazing light of truth
when it is presented as it should be can be now seen and
brought to bear upon the heart.'—E. G. White MS 3, 1854. (Feb.
12, 1854.)"—Arthur
L.
White,
Ellen G. White—Messenger to the
Remnant,
pages 38, 39.
At a time of crisis in the experience of Israel, through what
means did the Lord bring about deliverance? 2 Chron. 20:
14-20. See Judges 4:1-7, 14.
THINK IT THROUGH
What are the areas of need for guidance and protection to-
day? Do Ellen White's writings meet this need?
"Although there are• evils existing in the church, and will be
until the end of the world, the church in these last days is to be
the light of the world that is polluted and demoralized by sin.
The church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved,
warned, and counseled, is the only object upon earth upon
which Christ bestows His supreme
regard."—Testimonies to
Ministers,
page 49.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies to Ministers,
pages 24-26.
93
Pr phecy„a GNU
"The history which the great I AM
has marked out in His word, uniting
link after link in the prophetic chain,
from eternity in the past to eternity in
the future, tells us where we are today
in the procession of the ages, and what
may be expected in the time to come.
All that prophecy has foretold as com-
ing to pass, until the present time, has
been traced on the pages of history, and
we may be assured that all which is yet
to come will be fulfilled in its order."
—Education, page 178.
LESSON 12
December 15-21
"And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to
pass, ye might believe." John 14:29.
It is God's intention that His people today shall have a clear knowledge of
certain developments to take place in the future and be able to face these
events, informed and ready for any eventuality. The coming of events, then,
rather than taking His people by surprise, would be faced intelligently and
would strengthen and confirm their faith in Christ, and, as Ellen White com-
ments, "they would say to one another: 'He told us that this would come, and
what we must do to meet it.'
"—Testimonies,
Vol. 9, p. 235.
God's seers of old, with the prophetic view, peered down through the cen-
turies and saw the larger features of the events of the last days, and what they
saw they recorded for the instruction and encouragement of the whole world.
In harmony with His declared purpose, God has again spoken in our time through
the spirit of prophecy, and in so doing He has given to us in more minute detail
a picture of the events of the last days before Jesus' return. And the inspired
message confirms the word of the Bible prophets and
aids
in a fuller and more
complete understanding.
An old English poet said, "If you can look into the seeds of time and tell
which seeds will grow and which will not, speak thou to me." Fulfilled prophecy
is still the basic test of divine inspiration. When the intelligent seeker for truth
observes one fulfillment of prophecy after another, he is then willing to listen to
God's voice and obey it.
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
For the Individual, Dan. 12:1, 2
2.
In Religion, 2 Thess. 2:3, 4
3.
In the Economic World, 1 Tim. 6:9, 10
4.
In Science, Judges 13:3, 7
5.
In Preparation to Meet God, Zech. 3:1-7
6.
A World Work Completed, Matt. 24:14
Prophecy, a Guiding Light
LESSON 12
❑
Sunday
December 15
Part 1
FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL
When God's people shall be delivered from the time of
trouble, what event will take place?
"And at that time shall Michael stand up . . . : and there
shall be a time of trouble . . . : and . . . thy people shall
be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the
book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame
and everlasting contempt." Dan. 12:1, 2.
The special resurrection.
"It is at midnight that God mani-
fests His power for the deliverance of His people. . . .
"There is a mighty earthquake. . . .
"Graves are opened, and 'many of them that sleep in the
dust of the earth . . . awake, some to everlasting life, and
some to shame and everlasting contempt.' Daniel 12:2.
All
who have died in the faith of the third angel's message come
forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God's covenant of peace
with those who have kept His law."—The Great Controversy,
pages 636, 637. (Emphasis supplied.) See also
Early Writings,
pages 285, 286.
It is the longing desire of every Seventh-day Adventist to
see Jesus come in the clouds of heaven, but many have fallen
asleep and rest in the grave. Nevertheless, those who are
saved will not be denied the fulfillment of their brightest hope.
They will be raised from the grave in the special resurrection
of Daniel 12:2 and actually witness the return of Christ.
What do the New Testament writers foretell concerning the
deceptive power of satanic agencies? 2 Thess. 2:9, 10; 2 Cor.
11:13-15; Rev. 16:13, 14.
"Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive
the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assur-
ance given to Eve in Eden: 'Ye shall not surely die.' . . . Little
by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of decep-
tion in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet
reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be
reached in the last remnant of time. . . . Except those who
are kept by the power of God, through faith in His word, the
whole world will be swept into the ranks of this delusion."—
The Great Controversy,
pages 561, 562.
THINK IT THROUGH
How do the prophecies regarding the special resurrection
and spiritism affect your life and your future?
FURTHER STUDY
The Great Controversy,
pages 624, 625, 636-638.
96
'rophecy, a Guiding Light
LESSON 12
❑
Monday
December 16
Part 2
IN RELIGION
THINK IT THROUGH
What astounding development did the apostle Paul pre-
dict would take place in the religious world?
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall
not come, except there come a falling away first, and that
man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth
and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God." 2 Thess. 2:3, 4.
See also Rev. 13:3, 4, 8, 9, 14-18.
The prophecy of the great apostasy was fulfilled. However,
there came a diminishing of its power, called in prophecy "a
deadly wound." When the "wound" heals, the power of the
apostasy will return and surpass its former oppression.
"God's word has given warning of the impending danger;
let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what
the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to
escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doc-
trines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the
churches, and in the hearts of men. . . . We shall soon see
and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Who-
ever shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur
reproach and persecution."—The
Great Controversy,
page 581.
What somber experience lies ahead for all of God's faith-
ful people? Rev. 3:10.
"Just before us is the 'hour of temptation, which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.' Rev-
elation 3:10. All whose faith is not firmly established upon the
word of God will be deceived and overcome."—The
Great
Controversy,
page 560. See
Testimonies,
Vol. 9, pp. 11, 43. •
Said Jeremiah: "If thou host run with the footmen, and
they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with
horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst,
they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of
Jordan?" Jer. 12:5.
"Christ foresaw that the undue assumption of authority in-
dulged by the scribes and Pharisees would not cease with the
dispersion of the Jews. He had a prophetic view of the work
of exalting human authority to rule the conscience, which has
been so terrible a curse to the church in all ages. And His
fearful denunciations of the scribes and Pharisees, and His
warnings to the people not to follow these blind leaders, were
placed on record as an admonition to future generations."—
The Great Controversy,
page 596.
FURTHER STUDY
The Great Controversy,
pages 563, 572-574.
97
Prophecy, a'Guiding Light
LESSON 12
❑
Tuesda)
December 1
Part 3
IN THE ECONOMIC
WORLD
THINK IT THROUGH
98
What is the root of all evil?
"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare
and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men it
destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of
all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred frorr
the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.'
1 Tim. 6:9, 10.
See also 1 John 2:15-17.
"The Bible condemns no man for being rich, if he has
acquired his riches honestly. Not money, but the love at
money, is the root of all evil. It is God who gives men power
to get wealth; and in the hands of him who acts as God's
steward, using his means unselfishly, wealth is a blessing, both
to its possessor and to the world."—The
Ministry of Healing.
page 212.
Will business operations ever return to normal? "There are
not many, even among educators and statesmen, who compre-
hend the causes that underlie the present state of society. . . .
They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a
more secure basis. If men would give more heed to the teach-
ing of God's word, they would find a solution of the problems
that perplex them."—Testimonies,
Vol. 9, p. 13. (Emphasis sup-
plied.)
What is Paul's warning against confederacy with unbeliev-
ers? 2 Cor. 6:14-18. See Isa. 8:11-13.
Gigantic monopolies.
"The work of the people of God is to
prepare for the events of the future, which will soon come upon
them with blinding force. In the world gigantic monopolies will
be formed. Men will bind themselves together in unions that
will wrap them in the folds of the enemy. A few men will com-
bine to grasp all the means to be obtained in certain lines of
business. Trades unions will be formed, and those who refuse
to join these unions will be marked
men."—Selected Messages,
Bk. 2, p. 142. See also
Testimonies,
Vol. 8, p. 42.
This prediction concerns business combinations to monopo-
lize wealth as well as trade unions. Oppression, cruelty, and
avarice are offensive to God whether practiced by industry or
labor. God's people are to be free from all involvement with
the selfish control of wealth and from dishonest, violent efforts
to acquire it.
How does personal freedom figure in the gigantic struggle
between capital and labor? What about the individual's right
to work? To accumulate wealth honestly? To observe the
Sabbath by choice? To refrain from violence? To choose not
to be organized?
Prophecy, a Guiding Light
LESSON 12
❑
Wednesday
December 18
Part 4
IN SCIENCE
THINK IT THROUGH
What counsel was given to the mother of Samson before the
birth of her child?
"And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and
said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not:
but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son." "But he said unto
me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now
drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean
thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the
womb to the day of his death." Judges 13:3, 7.
See also verses 13, 14.
Ellen White points to prenatal influence as the reason for
the dietary prohibitions laid upon the wife of Manoah.
"The effect of prenatal influences is by many parents looked
upon as a matter of little moment; but heaven does not so re-
gard it. The message sent by an angel of God, and twice
given in the most solemn manner, shows it to be deserving of
our most careful thought."—The
Ministry of Healing,
page 372.
Ellen White earnestly counseled through the years the im-
portance of the mother's influence on the unborn child. But
not until recently has science confirmed the reality of prenatal
influence.
What results followed the temperate dietary practices of
Daniel and his friends? Dan. 1:5, 8-15, 20.
Closely linked with the physical, mental, and moral welfare
of any people are their habits of eating and drinking. Of the
nearly two thousand pages comprising the five spirit of proph-
ecy books devoted to health, a large proportion is devoted to
diet.
"There are but few as yet who are aroused sufficiently to
understand how much their habits of diet have to do with
their health, their characters, their usefulness in this world,
and their eternal
destiny."—Testimonies,
Vol. 1, pp. 488, 489.
The fact that a humble woman without scientific degrees
could persuade thousands of people to accept revolutionary
concepts of diet is a miracle. The greater miracle is that the
ideas were not faddish but scientifically sound, resulting in
good health whenever applied with balance and adequate
instruction.
"The Spirit of God cannot come to our help, and assist us
in perfecting Christian characters, while we are indulging our
appetites to the injury of health, and while the pride of life
controls."—Counsels
on Diet and Foods,
page 57.
FURTHER STUDY
The
Ministry of Healing,
page 371-378.
99
Prophecy, a Guiding Light
LESSON 12
❑
Thursday
December 19
Part 5
IN PREPARATION
TO MEET GOD
THINK IT THROUGH
In Zechariah's vision of Joshua and the angel, what did
Satan do? What did the change of raiment signify? What
promise was made to Joshua, the high priest? Zech. 3:1-7.
"Zechariah's vision of Joshua and the Angel applies with
peculiar force to the experience of God's people in the closing
up of the great day of atonement. The remnant church will be
brought into great trial and distress. Those who keep the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire
of the dragon and his hosts. . . .
"Satan urges before God his accusations against them, de-
claring that they have by their sins forfeited the divine pro-
tection, and claiming the right to destroy them as transgres-
sors."—Testimonies, Vol. 5, pp. 472, 473.
"All that have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness will
stand before Him as chosen and faithful and true. Satan has
no power to pluck them out of the hand of
Christ."—Testimo-
nies,
Vol. 5, p. 471.
What question asked by Jesus suggests a condition that will
exist in earth's last days? Luke 18:8. See Matt. 24:12.
"I was shown the people of God, and saw them mightily
shaken. Some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, were
pleading with God. . . .
"Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing
and pleading. They seemed indifferent and careless. They
were not resisting the darkness around them, and it shut them
in like a thick cloud. . . .
"I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen, and was
shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called
forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans.
This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and
will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight
truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will
rise up against it, and this will cause a shaking among God's
people."—Testimonies,
Vol. 1, pp. 179-181.
The solemn appeal of the True Witness to prepare to meet
God should stir us to respond in love.
"Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be
placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will
never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-
loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the fore-
head of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All
who receive the seal must be without spot before God—can-
didates for
heaven."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 216.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, pp. 467-476.
100
Prophecy, a Guiding Light
LESSON 12
❑
Friday
December 20
Part 6
A WORLD WORK
COMPLETED
THINK IT THROUGH
What work will be accomplished before Christ comes?
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all
the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come."—Matt. 24:14.
Compare Matt. 28:18-20.
In the vision of January 3, 1875, Ellen White was shown
many lights illuminating a world shrouded in darkness. She
was led in 1892 to declare: " 'The missionary work in Australia
and New Zealand is yet in its infancy, but the same work must
be accomplished in Australia, New Zealand, in Africa, India,
China, and the islands of the sea, as has been accomplished
in the home field.'
"—Life Sketches,
page 338.
In 1892 we had not yet opened our first mission station in
Africa. It was yet a year before colporteurs were to enter
India and a full decade before missionaries were dispatched to
China. As for the islands of the sea, we had just made the
smallest beginning.
Who will finish the work of the gospel? Romans 9:28.
"I saw that the quick work that God was doing on the earth
would soon be cut short in righteousness and that the messen-
gers must speed swiftly on their way to search out the scat-
tered flock."—Early
Writings,
page 50.
The prophetic assurance of triumph gives courage to the
believers. Note the following prophetic assurances:
(1)
The Lord will bring us through triumphantly.
"There is
no need to doubt, to be fearful that the work will not succeed.
God is at the head of the work. . . . Let us have faith that
God is going to carry the noble ship which bears the people of
God safely into port."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 2, p. 390.
(2)
God will continue with them even to the end.
"I am
encouraged and blessed as I realize that the God of Israel is
still guiding His people, and that He will continue to be with
them, even to the end."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 2, p. 406.
(From a message by Ellen White to the General Conference in
session, 1913.)
If God is with His church till the end, is not the church a
good place to remain? If all church members were like me,
what kind of a church would it be?
"There is a great work to be done, and every effort possible
.must be made to reveal Christ as the sin-pardoning Saviour,
Christ as the Sin Bearer, Christ as the bright and morning
Star; and the Lord will give us favor before the world until our
work is
done."—Testimonies,
Vol. 6, pp. 20, 21.
FURTHER STUDY
Testimonies,
Vol. 9, pp. 19-25.
101
LESSON 13
December 22-28
Confidence in the
Spirit of Prophecy
STEWARDS
HIP
"Whereupon, 0 king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly
vision." Acts 26:19.
For a full quarter we have been studying the gift of prophecy in the Seventh-
day Adventist Church. We have seen how the Lord has communicated His mes-
sages through this agency. The questions now come to each one of us, What
is my relationship to this gift? What do the spirit of prophecy counsels mean
to me? How will I study and apply these counsels? The answer to these ques-
tions ought not to be postponed or evaded. Denton E. Rebok in his book
Believe
His Prophets,
pages 315, 316, wrote:
"I believe that the writings of Ellen G. White describe what God wants of me
and what God will do for me through His Son Jesus Christ. They are words of
beauty and of power. They present before me the pattern for the Christian life.
I accept her words as she has declared them to be, words of reproof for the
`erring,' words 'of encouragement to the meek and lowly,' words of `counsel,'
'instruction,' correction.' They are not the 'commandments of the Decalogue,'
but the wise counsel and earnest entreaties of a kind heavenly Father through
His chosen messenger.
"I find myself in perfect agreement with the great mass of counsel given,
but like so many others I am tempted to despise and reject ONLY
the testimo-
nies which reprove my darling sins, conflict with my own preconceived ideas of
theology, and disturb my self-complacency.
"In these few, very few, items I am daily praying that God will help me to
conform completely and perfectly to His will and standard."
This author then appeals to all of us as follows:
"Brethren and sisters of the Advent family, let us give most careful, thought-
ful, and prayerful consideration to the topic of this study, and take our stand
with the remnant church for the message given to us as a people, and for the
messenger whom God chose to accomplish His will and purpose in and for us
ARE THE TESTIMONY
MESSAGES
GETTING
THROUGH?
as probationary time comes to an end, as history comes to its last chapter, as
Christ finishes His work for the salvation of men, and as closing events in the
great controversy bring us ever nearer to the grand consummation of all things
earthly.
"We have every reason to rejoice as Seventh-day Adventists in the abundant
provision made by God Himself for our salvation. He loves us with a tender love.
He is kind and good and gentle. He has anticipated our every need, and has
given us the help we must have at every turn in life's way. He is ready to
fit
us for His kingdom. May each and every one of us be molded and fashioned
according to His own divine pattern. He wants you and me in His presence
throughout eternity." Page 320.
LESSON OUTLINE
1.
Attitude Toward Reproof, Hosea 6:5
2.
Accept or Reject, Isa. 30:10
3.
Understanding the Inspired Messages, Acts 26:19
4.
Misuse of the Testimonies
5.
A Vital Question, Acts 26:27
6.
The Believer's Promise, 2 Chron. 20:20
Confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 13
❑
Sunday
December 22
Part 1
What symbols did God use to describe the work of the
ATTITUDE TOWARD
ancient prophets?
REPROOF
"Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain
them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as
the light that goeth forth." Hosea 6:5.
See also Heb. 12:5; 1 Peter 4:12, 13.
What purpose did the Lord have in sending prophets to
backslidden Judah? What was the response? 2 Chron. 24:19.
"In many cases the
Testimonies
are fully received, the sin
and indulgence broken off, and reformation at once com-
mences in harmony with the light God has given. In other in-
stances sinful indulgences are cherished. . . . The
true
reason
is not given. It is a lack of moral courage—a will, strength-
ened and controlled by the Spirit of God, to renounce hurtful
habits."—Testimonies,
Vol. 4, p. 32. See also
Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 234.
How does a wise man receive reproof? Prov. 9:8; 15:32.
Many who received personal .testimonies from Ellen White
accepted the reproof with gratitude. One was a minister and
president of a conference in North America who was reproved
for his public advocacy of fanatical teachings and actions.
Humbly he acknowledged in the General Conference session
of 1901 the Lord's counsel:
"'In the testimony [presented by Ellen White] . . . the test
came to me. But, brethren, I can thank God this morning that
my faith in the Spirit of prophecy remains unshaken. God has
spoken. He says I was wrong, and I answer, God is right, and
I am wrong. . . .
"'I have asked God to forgive me, and I know that He has
done it. As delegates and representatives of the cause of
God in the earth, I now ask you to forgive me my sins, and I
ask your prayers for strength and wisdom to walk aright in
the future. It is my determination, by the help of God, to join
glad hands with you in the kingdom of God.' "—Arthur L.
White,
Ellen G. White—Messenger to the Remnant,
page 20.
THINK IT THROUGH
104
Ellen White explained to a certain member that she would
gladly communicate to that person words of commendation
but the Lord had not revealed these characteristics to her.
She had been shown the sins which were the stumbling blocks
and which must be removed if the believer was to negotiate
the road to heaven. What spiritual roadblocks appear before
you that the "Testimonies" mark out for removal?
Confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 13
❑
Monday
December 23
Part 2
ACCEPT OR
REJECT
THINK IT THROUGH
"Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets,
Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth
things, prophesy deceits." Isa. 30:10.
See also Ezek. 33:30-33.
"There are some in these last days who will cry: 'Speak
unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.' But this is not my
work. God has set me as a reprover of His people; and just
so surely as He has laid upon me the heavy burden, He will
make those to whom this message is given responsible for the
manner in which they treat
it."—Testimonies,
Vol. 4, pp. 231,
232.
What was Ahab's attitude toward the true prophet of God?
1 Kings 22:8.
To what may an attitude of resistance lead? Acts 7:52, 59.
—
It
is Satan's plan to weaken the faith of God's people in
the
Testimonies.' Satan
knows how to make his attacks. He
works upon minds to excite jealousy and dissatisfaction toward
those at the head of the work. The gifts are next questioned;
then, of course, they have but little weight, and instruction
given through vision is disregarded.' 'Next follows skepticism
in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our posi-
tion, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the down-
ward march to perdition. When the
Testimonies,
which were
once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the
deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his ef-
forts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes
incurable and ends in destruction.'
"—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p.
672.
What was David's attitude toward the message that came
to him from the prophet Nathan? 2 Sam. 12:7-9, 13, 14.
At a general gathering of workers in Europe in 1885, Ellen
White's interpreter was D. T. Bourdeau, a leading minister. He
wrote for the
Review and Herald
of Nov. 10, 1885, as follows:
"Not only does this gift reprove sin without dissimulation
and partiality, as did Nathan when he said to David, 'Thou art
the man;' but it deals in words of encouragement to help those
reproved to overcome, and to inspire hope, faith, and courage
to the desponding. It not only probes the wound, but it also
pours in the oil, binds the wound, and hastens the process of
restoration. It brings the receiver to the Bible."
Study Elder Bourdeau's comment carefully and note how
much can be tabulated as assets in the prophetic ledger. For
every word of warning in the spirit of prophecy there are ten
words of hope and promise!
105
Confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 13
❑
Tuesday
December 24
Part 3
UNDERSTANDING THE
INSPIRED MESSAGES
THINK IT THROUGH
106
As Paul recounted his experience before King Agrippa,
what did he declare had been his personal relationship to
the vision God gave him?
"Whereupon, 0 King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto
the heavenly vision." Acts 26:19.
The apostle practiced the truth he believed. So should we
be obedient to what we know that has been revealed to us.
How does the honest seeker understand revealed truth?
1 Cor. 2:12, 13.
Just as the student is admonished to view the Bible as a
whole, comparing scripture with scripture, so he should gain
the full picture of all the prophetic counsels of Ellen White
available on a given point, putting statement with statement.
"The testimonies themselves will be the key that will explain
the messages given, as scripture is explained by scripture."
—Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 42.
The thoughts on any teaching that is controversial should
remain in solution and not crystalize until
all
the available
counsels on the subject are before us.
What need sometimes arises among those who have
known God's message before? .Heb. 5:12. Compare 2 Peter
1:1-12.
The Christian must progress in his knowledge of truth. He
should steadily advance in an understanding of Bible princi-
ples. It is his privilege to enjoy a growing and dynamic, not a
static, experience. The writings of the prophets offer basic
principles to guide the life toward the goal of Christian per-
fection.
When we study the spirit of prophecy, we must consider the
time, place, and circumstances of the giving of the Lord's
message. Mrs. White wrote of the publication and use of her
writings: 'Regarding the testimonies, nothing is ignored; noth-
ing is cast aside; but time and place must be considered."—
Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 57.
Israel was instructed that their garments should carry a
fringe of blue to designate them as God's people. Num. 15:38.
Dedication to God may be shown today in modest attire, but
the principle is applied in a manner different from its applica-
tion with Israel. Each Christian is to study prayerfully how to
apply principles to the specific issue at hand.
What perplexing issues now confront me personally that
the writings of Ellen White may help me resolve?
Examine the three-volume
Comprehensive Index to the
Writings of Ellen G. White.
Here you will be led to helpful
statements that will throw light on your problems.
Confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 13
❑
Wednesday
December
25
Part 4
Against what misuses of the writings of Ellen White are we
MISUSE OF THE
warned?
TESTIMONIES
1.
Used to force an issue. 'They
profess to believe the tes-
timony borne, and some do harm by making them an iron
rule for those who have had no experience in reference to
them."—Testimonies,
Vol. 1, p. 369.
2.
Used as proof for unbelievers. "Some
have taken an
injudicious course; when they have talked their faith to un-
believers, and the proof has been asked for, they have read
a vision, instead of going to the Bible for proof. . . . The vi-
sions can have no weight with those who have never seen them
and know nothing of their spirit. They should not be referred
to in such
cases."—Testimonies,
Vol. 1, pp. 119, 120.
THINK IT THROUGH
3.
Brief excerpts used out of context. "There
are those who
pick out from the Word of God, and also from the Testimonies,
detached paragraphs or sentences that may be interpreted to
suit their ideas, and they dwell upon these."—Selected
Mes-
sages,
Bk. 1, p. 179.
The prophetic writings are up-to-date.
"I have been shown
that the principles that were given us in the early days of the
message are as important and should be regarded just as con-
scientiously today as they were
then."—Testimonies,
Vol. 9,
p. 158.
Messages leave a possibility of doubt.
"If you refuse to be-
lieve until every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of
doubt is removed, you will never believe. The doubt that de-
mands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith. Faith rests
upon evidence, not demonstration."—Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 69.
The principles set forth in the messages are universal in
their application.
Ellen White's messages are for the world
church. Consider her eleven years of service in Europe and
Australia and the many pages of messages dealing with the
international scope of the work of the church. She was not "a
provincial seer" but God's messenger to the international
church of Seventh-day Adventists.
The spirit of prophecy counsels are not outmoded or out of
place today. If Ellen White is "old hat," how about the Bible
written eighteen centuries before the "Testimonies"?
"Through His Holy Spirit the voice of God has come to us
continually in warning and instruction, to confirm the faith of
the believers in the Spirit of prophecy. . . . Time and trial
have not made void the instruction given. . . . The instruction
that was given in the early days of the message is to be held
as safe instruction to follow in these its closing days."—
Selected Messages,
Bk. 1, p. 41. (Written in 1907.)
107
Confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 13
D
Thursday
December 26
Part 5
A VITAL
QUESTION
THINK IT THROUGH
108
In Paul's appeal to Agrippa, what pertinent question did
he ask?
"King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that
thou believest." Acts 26:27.
Compare 2 Kings 17:13, 14; Luke 24:25.
"My brethren, beware of the evil heart of unbelief. The
word of God is plain and close in its restrictions; it interferes
with your selfish indulgence; therefore you do not obey it. . . .
And to justify your carnal, ease-loving course you begin to
doubt whether the testimonies are from God. If you would
obey their teachings, you would be assured of their divine
ori-
gin."—Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 234.
When there is no prophetic vision, what dire consequences
result? Prov. 29:18. Compare 1 Sam. 3:1.
The Hebrew word here translated "vision" always means
prophetic vision.
"Satan is . . . constantly pressing in the spurious—to lead
away from the truth. The very last deception of Satan will be
to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God.
'Where there is no vision, the people perish' (Prov. 29:18).
Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through dif-
ferent agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God's remnant
people in the true testimony."—Selected
Messages,
Bk. 1,
p. 48.
What solemn question does Peter ask? 2 Peter 3:10, 11.
D. E.
Rebok, for years a spiritual leader among us, writes:
"Thinking through this solemn instruction given by the apostle,
I have come to the conclusion that the warning is for
me
per-
sonally, and the appeal is to
me
as to what kind of person
I
am
going to be from today on. It is not my business primarily to
think about you and your condition—the kind of person you
ought to be. That is your problem. My problem is, What kind
of person ought I to be? If each of us will answer that question
for himself, I feel confident that we shall be ready for this
great event that is described in such graphic terms.",—Believe
His Prophets,
page 278.
The principle of love to God and love to man must prompt
every action if we are to avoid the pharisaical life.
"We are not to be as the Pharisees, bound about by set
rules and regulations. . . . We are to be careful not to make
laws like the laws of the Pharisees, or to teach for doctrines
the commandments of
men."—Medical Ministry,
page 284.
Confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy
LESSON 13
❑
Friday
December 27
Part 6
With what words did Jehoshaphat encourage the people as
THE BELIEVER'S
they followed the Lord's direction given through the prophet?
PROMISE
"And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into
the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat
stood and said, Hear me, 0 Judah, and ye inhabitants of
Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be estab-
lished; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." 2 Chron.
20:20.
THINK IT THROUGH
"Believe his prophets, and you will succeed" is the RSV
rendering. Here is God's formula for "success" in the Chris-
tian life.
At a time of crisis in our work, Ellen White declared: "Some
will yield their faith, and will deny the truth of the messages,
pointing to them as falsehoods.
"Some will hold them up to ridicule, working against the
light that God has been giving for years, and some who are
weak in the faith will thus be led astray.
"But others will be greatly helped by the messages. Though
not personally addressed, they will be corrected, and will be
led to shun the evils specified. . . . The Spirit of the Lord
will be in the instruction, and doubts existing in many minds
will be swept away. . . . Light will dawn upon the understand-
ing, and the Spirit will make an impression on minds, as Bible
truth is clearly and simply presented in the messages . . .
God has been sending His people."—Selected
Messages,
Bk.
1, pp. 41, 42.
What advantages accrue to the Christian who orders his
life by the Word of God and the testimonies of His Spirit?
What is to be gained by rejecting the counsel of the Lord? Is
neglect of the "Testimonies" as hazardous as their rejection?
Is your position on the spirit of prophecy positive and de-
cided? How can you use the spirit of prophecy writings to
lead others to Christ?
In a Sabbath sermon delivered at College View, Nebraska,
in the year 1909 Ellen White paused, surveyed the large con-
gregation, and exclaimed, "0 Brethren and Sisters, how many
of us believe with heart and soul that we have a heaven to
win and a hell to shun? We cannot now do just exactly what
we want to do."
The time has come for all of us to ask, "Lord, what wilt
Thou
have me to do?" In searching our Bible and the spirit of
prophecy writings, we may find the answer. We can also find
the Saviour by whose grace and power we may enter into a
new life. As we prepare for Jesus' coming, let us share with
all whose lives we touch every day our faith in God's guidance
in this Seventh-day Adventist movement.
109
LESSONS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1975
Sabbath School members who have not received a copy of the
Adult
Lessons
for the first quarter of 1975 will be helped by the following out-
line in studying the first two lessons. The title of the series is "God Is
Like This—" which is a study of the revelation of God as provided by
the life and teachings of Jesus.
First lesson:
"God Is Like This—Jesus Reflected Him." Memory verse,
John 1:18. Outline as follows: (1) Jesus Revealed the Father, John 14:9.
(2) His Deeds Prompted by His Father, John 5:19. (3) His Words
Prompted by His Father, John 12:49. (4) Jesus Did His Father's Will,
John 6:38. (5) Jesus Relied on the Scriptures, Matt. 4:4, 7, 10. (6) The
Meaning of Jesus' Life, John 14:10.
Second lesson:
"God Is Like This—He Cares About People." Memory
verse, Luke 19:10. Outline as follows: (1) The Lost Coin, Luke 15:8.
(2) The Lost Sheep, Luke 15:3, 4. (3) The Good Shepherd, John 10:14,
15, 17. (4) The Lost Son, Luke 15:11-13. (5) Other Sheep, John 10:16.
(6) Father Gave Son to Die for Man, John 3:16.
110
The Blessing of Daily Study
"Every day some portion of time should be appropri-
ated to the study of the lessons, not merely in learning to
mechanically repeat the words, while the mind does not
comprehend the meaning; but to go to the very founda-
tion, and become familiar with what is brought out in the
lesson."
-
-"Counsels on Sabbath School Work," page 53.
My Pledge
As one who greatly desires to improve his knowledge
of the Scriptures, I pledge myself to the careful and
prayerful study of some portion of my Sabbath School
lesson each day of the week.
(signed)
The regular adult Sabbath School lessons are available free
each month in Braille and 16
2
/
3
rpm records to blind and phys-
ically handicapped persons who cannot read normal inkprint.
This includes individuals who because of arthritis, multiple
sclerosis, paralysis, accidents, old age, and so forth, cannot hold
or focus on normal inkprint publications. Contact the Christian
Record Braille Foundation, Box 6097, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506.
111
Have a
Good Day
What you do with the first hour of the morning
should prepare you for the whole day. Two books to
give you the good preparation you need. The daily
devotional books for 1975. Give yourself a good day.
FAITH TRIUMPHANT Robert H. Pierson
(senior
devotional) Amid political and economic fiascoes,
in a world riven with strife and broken promises,
what assures victory to the Christian? Faith, of
course! Faith in our Creator and Redeemer, faith in
His soon return, faith in His Word, in His
Spirit, and in His church. With firm confidence in His
message for these last days and in the movement
He has established for the proclamation of
that message, we shall see our hope triumph. In
daily devotional messages for
/75, Robert
H.
Pierson, president of the General Confer-
ice, portrays with sure lines the basis
our faith and the dawning rays of
fulfillment.
Price $3.95
CRAIGHT AHEAD Adlai A. Es
-
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(youth
tvotional) Whatever you like to read about —
dventure—Biography—Humor—Heroes—
Jetry—Missions—Miracles—The Love of
od—it's all there in Dr. Adlai Esteb's
Guth
devotional book for 1975. He
ills it
Straight Ahead,
because
rat's good advice for you Chris-
ans—or anybody. We invite you to
id
Straight Ahead
to your library
ead it daily. Think about it
rayerfully. Let it make a
ifference in your life.
Price $3.95
ou may order these books
om your local Adventist
ook Center or ABC Mail-
ig Service, P.O. Box 31776,
)rtiaha, Nebraska 68131.
h
ave $1.00 on the youth devotional when you purchase a senior devotional at
tgular price.
Both books only $6.90
Please add 30 cents for the first book and 15 cents for each
lditional book for postage and handling. Add State sales tax where necessary.
SOO'S
Pion
too
01111 PtIMET
yr.. NO.
3 \IAA/
GUDNG
From the pocket-sized STW* series.
1.JOU
TOPE SO\
"We are determined to end up the
richest, fattest, smuggest, and most
complacent people who ever failed
to meet the test of survival." The
choice is ours. JOURNEY TO THE
SON illustrates the conflict be-
tween God's plan and man's failing
substitutes. By Kenneth J. Holland.
2 A \INV <ND OF LIFE
"Depending wholly on God and
cooperating with Him, you will
develop physically, mentally, and
spiritually to the highest degree—to
the glory of God and the blessing of
humanity." A NEW KIND OF
LIFE outlines the satisfactions of
following God's provisions and
commandments. By Kenneth J.
Holland.
3. GOD'S PLAN
FOR OUR PLANE
From the creation of our earth to
life in the new earth—the Bible is
brought to life in a new mini-size.
GOD'S PLAN FOR OUR PLANET
is especially valuable for new con-
verts. By Lawrence Maxwell.
*See the entire Stories That
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NORTHERN EUROPE -
WEST AFRICA
DIVISION
Greenland Mission
(WNU)
Iceland Conference
WEST NORDIC
UNION
0
BRITISH
UNION
NEWBOLD
COLLEGE
POLISH UNION
Unions
Population
Churches
British U. C.
57,893,509
158
Finland U. C.
4,820,000
50
Iceland C.
206,878
7
Netherlands U. C.
13,000,000
45
Nigerian M.
58,344,582
196
Polish U. C.
33,000,000
120
Swedish U. C.
8,433,000
57
West African U. M.
28,350,000
135
West Nordic U. C.
8,726,336
128
Division Totals
212,774,305
896
(Figures as of 2nd quarter 19731
Church
S.S.
Members Members
12A25 13,155
5,602 5,645
501
635
3,533 2,608
28,969 63,773
4,201
4,105
3,801 4,598
26,802 51,617
9,482 8,042
95,316 154,178'
Gambia
A. C. W. A.
Adventist College
of West Africa
Upper
Sierra Leone 1
Volta
--rDahomey
Toga
Liberia
Ivory
1 \ ^
NIGERIAN UNION
/
Coast Ghana
16.
Nigeria
WEST AFRICAN UNION
Greenland
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